Pokémon Heroes of the Highway
by Vulpix 3
Summary: Truck driver Ken Worth finds his new job comes with an unexpected co-driver requirement that ends up being filled by a fire-breathing partner. Now teamed with a Fennekin seeking to prove its worth, the pair set off on an over-the-road adventure through Kanto.
1. The Open Road Beckons

Welcome to the world of Pokémon where adventure no doubt waits around every corner and a new journey forward is always ready to begin. Millions of people and Pokémon call this world home with a wide variety of trainers, coordinators, rangers, performers, professors, professionals, students, and even criminals seeking to harness the power and knowledge of its creatures in pursuit of their goals, hopes, and dreams around the globe.

With so many chasing so much it can almost be hard to keep track of it all but there one thing that unites everyone: the constant need for the equipment. Supplying everyone from the busiest metropolitan stores to the most far flung Pokémon Center is a massive task taken up by a mostly unsung breed of working-class hero in this world: truck drivers. From coast to coast across every region these gear-jamming heavy haulers and their big rigs move all of the freight that keeps trainers going forward on their journeys, businesses and restaurants stocked up for their customers, and first responders ready for action.

That old maxim of "if you bought it, a trucker brought it" is just as true here as anywhere but it is not a job without its risks. In a world fraught with danger like rogue or mischievous Pokémon, massive organized crime teams with immense resources at their disposal, and the wild environment in the often isolated areas between many communities all drivers must be ready to tackle a wide variety of challenges head on to get their cargoes to their destinations safe and intact. When it comes to the most dangerous, and high dollar, assignments only the bravest need apply as a truckload of something like rare candies or evolutionary stones can fast become a moving target for thieves if a driver isn't careful.

Many companies have sprung up across the world to move these cargoes but the largest and most desired among drivers to work for is GS Transport, the so-called "Gold Standard" of the industry which operates a fleet of trucks, trains, and ships from its dispatch center in Kanto's Celadon City. Its fleet of light blue trucks adorned with its emblem featuring the famous golden GS Ball came be found pounding the streets of almost every city street and highway across the world. No company pays its drivers more but in exchange no outfit expects more of them, its job requirements almost insisting that all employees be of high character and willing to do what is legal to get the job done.

* * *

Its here on the streets of Celadon City that our story begins as we meet delivery van driver Ken Worth. Ken has spent the last three years driving for the small company Rattata Express at the wheel of one of its signature purple-and-white two-tone minivans. Today is one of celebration for him as it is his last day on the job with "RatEx" before he starts a new job tomorrow driving bigger trucks for GS Transport.

Ken's been chasing the dream of becoming one of Kanto's top "haul masters" since he was a kid. When his twin sister Sandra set off on a successful Pokémon trainer journey in their youth Ken was already nose deep in an atlas trying to find the fastest route for a truck from Fuchsia City to Olivine City. Now that he's an adult while he doesn't necessarily dislike Pokémon, and he's far from ignorant about those in Kanto, he's still never owned one as he'd focused everything toward his goal of handling the big loads. He'd found it odd GS required a Pokémon trainer license as a prerequisite to hiring but they aren't hard to get and he figured they were required for when the need to haul live ones came up. He'd already had that license just in case his sister wanted to leave one at his place over a weekend or something casual like that so he never gave it a second thought.

To Ken Pokémon were just another distraction, something others no doubt had a massive interest and led to a lot of business but that personally didn't excite him. His attitude would soon have to change but at this moment little mattered beyond his last delivery.

"Van 19, what's your 20?," came a dispatcher's voice over the van's radio.

Ken reached over and picked up the microphone on his dashboard to respond.

"This is Van 19, inbound for Scissor Street out in the 'burbs," Ken replied. "I'm on the 'Suds Run' back from Vermilion. Over."

"Roger. Keep the rubber side down, the shiny side up, the bugs off the glass, and the cops off your…tail," the dispatcher responded. "Good luck on last delivery. It's been an honor."

"Thanks Mickey," Ken responded. "I'll miss you guys."

"Don't forget us once you get the big loads," the dispatcher responded.

"That's a big 10-4 good buddy," Ken radioed back.

* * *

For Ken there were few assignments easier the 'Suds Run,' the colorful nickname drivers gave the assignment to pick up fancy Pokémon shampoos from the docks in Vermilion City then run them over to the famous Scissor Street, the so-called "Breeder's Lane," out in one of the suburban communities just outside Celadon City where various salons were located. With a mostly uncongested toll road connecting the two Kanto cities the assignment was one of his favorites since it was usually a smooth run. As a lifelong resident of Celadon City he knew almost every one of its roads and alleys like the back of his hand so the run out to the suburbs almost always would be a quick one.

The delivery van moved through traffic with ease as Ken approached his destination. Pulling onto Scissor Street he quietly made a turn down an alley and pulled his van up to a loading dock. Getting out Ken straightened the collar on his purple and white uniform then proceeded to deploy a ramp from the back of the little van and start unloading the shampoo. A quick press of the buzzer at the back door of this salon and he was in to make his last delivery. He finalized the delivery with the business' owner, a teal-haired groomer named Suzie, as its resident Vulpix looked on.

"Okay, we've got three boxes of apricot scent shampoo, three boxes of apple scent, two of 'Summer Bloom,' one of 'Pinkan Berry blend,' and one of 'Burning Desire' whatever that is," Ken said he read the manifest.

"That last one is getting really popular with fire type Pokémon," Suzie responded with a smile. "It's got a warming scent like that of a crackling campfire that they just love. My Vulpix has really taken a shining to it."

"Vulpix," the little fire fox chimed in with glee.

"Well I hope it enjoys it," Ken replied. "Here's hoping you don't burn through that order too quick but if you do we're always ready to bring in more. It's been a pleasure doing your deliveries these past few years and I hope the next driver we assign to this route enjoys it as much as I did."

"Oh that's right, you got the job with the big truck company," Suzie noted. "Well good luck with your new endeavors."

"Thank you," Ken said just before returning to his van.

With his final delivery complete Ken set course back to Rattata Express garage, returning the van and his uniform for the last time. The night was a bittersweet one as he and coworkers shared a little fun in a going away party held at their dispatcher's house; Mickey being excited to show everyone the Skitty he just picked up as a pet for his family. Ken only rolled his eyes at that but still had a great time.

* * *

The following morning was the big one for Ken and he wasted no time getting out the door and catching an early commuter train to the GS Transport dispatch center. He wore a casual white business outfit and brought nothing with him but the small suitcase of personal effects he planned to keep with him in his new truck.

As he rounded a street corner the gigantic GS Transport complex came into view. The building glistened in the orange glow of the rising sun. It was a massive complex with a huge block of offices alongside its vast garage and loading dock areas. Even this early in the morning trucks were already shuffling in and out, no doubt coming from and going to all kinds of destinations.

Ken almost teared up as he walked through the gates at the front of its yard for the first time. This was the day he'd waited for his entire life in about an hour or so he was sure he'd be on the road in a truck of his own ready to take on the world. Entering through the front door he was immediately directed to head up stairs to meet with the company's owner Mack to get him set up for his new role. He reached Mack's office and knocked on the door.

"It's unlocked, come in," came the boisterous voice from inside the office.

Ken tepidly entered the office, immediately sighting his gray-haired superior sitting behind his desk with a lot of paperwork and files on it. A well-fed Snubbull was curled up sleeping in its bed alongside the desk, no doubt it was Mack's pet. The wood paneled walls were decorated with numerous pictures of big trucks from throughout the years. There was a locked cabinet on the wall behind the desk. Mack had founded this company and built it from the ground up.

"Good morning sir, I'm Ken Worth. Your new driver."

"Ah, Mr. Worth welcome aboard," Mack said proudly. "I'll go for the oblivious pun and note I hope your ready to prove your worth. Welcome to GS Transport. Have a seat and let's get you started."

Ken smiled nervously as he sat down. Mack rifled through some paperwork on his desk before pulling out a file.

"Here we go, new driver," Mack said, flipping it open. "Ken Worth, native Celadonian, several years of experience with a clean record. No tickets, that's a good sign. Commercial Driver's License and Celadon City chauffeur's license up to date. Pokémon trainer's license is good. Sounds like you are almost ready to roll."

"I've been working toward this a while sir," Ken respond.

"Mack's fine, not sir, I'm not a knight," Mack said. "So what Pokémon are you bringing with you in the truck. We can put protectors on the seats if you like to run with them out of the ball."

"Huh, oh I don't have any," Ken replied.

The expression on Mack's face changed to one of mild surprise.

"So, without them how do you plan to protect my loads?" the boss asked.

"What?" Ken responded.

"This job isn't just busing shampoo down the toll road from Vermilion in a minivan," Mack noted. "I'm entrusting you with a very large and expensive truck that will be filled with some very important cargoes. Pokémon are one of the quickest and easiest ways to keep that cargo protected from certain issues that may arise. All of my drivers keep Pokémon on at least a casual level for that reason. I pay well to make sure they do."

Now it was Ken's turn to look surprised.

"You are going to be going all over and many of our routes can get quite isolated in spots," Mack continued. "Let's not kid ourselves, if something happens out there you have to be ready to respond because there is a good chance law enforcement or a ranger might not make it in time to help you. If some Rhyhorn or Pyroar goes nuts and tries to attack the truck how are you going to stop it? If Team Flare or Team Rocket or whatever criminal wacko is up to something nefarious this week tries to hijack your truck how were you planning to fight them off?"

"I've got a baseball bat and…" Ken started to reply before stopping.

Mack's death glare spelled out the obvious; that wasn't going to be enough. Ken couldn't believe what he was hearing but he knew Mack was right. Sandra always told him he needed to get a Pokémon but he wrote it off as her trying to show off or just encouraging him to get a pet.

"My best friend got smashed up real good when a rogue Rhydon bulldozed into his truck when he was on a supply run to the Safari Zone many years ago, he barely made it and the rig was totaled," Mack said. "I've mandated at least one Pokémon aboard on every run since. It's a dangerous world out there. Even the stuff that looks harmless can get you in trouble. I had a Raichu blow up a fuel tanker once, it shocked the right spot and the whole thing went off like a bomb. You need at least a basic Pokémon to scare off would be issues."

The look of disappointment on Ken's face was palpable.

"And I don't have any," Ken said. "Shoot. So I can't get a truck until I get one?"

"Yeah," Mack said. "But I plan for this so if you're game for the trainer thing I'll just hook you up with a starter now, a little gear, and get you rolling."

Ken's instincts didn't let his mind process that information before he blurted out an answer.

"I'll do anything to get out on the open road," Ken said.

"Terrific," Mack said. "Welcome to world of Pokémon training."

Ken gulped, now wondering what did he just get himself into.

"So where do I go to get this starter?" Ken asked. "My sister is a trainer and she had to haul out to some little community near the coast when she started years ago."

"Pallet Town," Mack corrected him. "And if you were doing the whole off to see the world thing you'd have gone there as a kid. But this is a little different, I just keep a few mon on standby for situations like this. I'll give you one now and we'll get rolling."

Ken's jaw about hit the floor as Mack pulled out a key and unlocked the cabinet. Inside it was about 30 Poké Balls, there were about five off to the side that had labels beneath them indicting there was likely something in them. Mack looked over the contents and started making choices.

"Let's see, this guy should work for your starter," Mack said as he grabbed one of the labelled balls and tossed it to Ken, who thankfully caught it. "That one's a fire type, I like the 'shock and awe' factor they offer for discouraging pests. A little jet of flame now is worth a lot of full on attacks later. I'll give you a couple empty balls too; water, flying, and electric types are all good choices for the road if you go catch some more. Charge the battery, wash the truck, scout ahead; if you train them well you can do a lot with them. Oh, you do have a cell phone right?"

"Yeah," Ken responded.

"Give it to me," Mack requested.

Ken did at which point Mack pulled out a small device and hooked it into the battery charger slot.

"There we go," Mack said, handing the phone back. "That's a PokéScan. Serious trainers get those Pokédex things but for a guy just keeping a few on the side this is more practical. It's cheap but almost as good, hold the phone up and press this scanner in while you point it at a Pokémon and it'll scan it to tell you what it is. That device is Internet connected for updates. There's also a slot for charging the phone so it doesn't block that."

"I can't believe what I'm doing," Ken said, looking over the Poké Ball that was in his hand and now starting to realizing just what he'd had agreed to.

"Well aren't you going to let him out?" Mack asked. "Or were you planning not to deploy him until the need arose? They work better if you bond with them. A happy Pokémon is a helpful Pokémon."

"Oh right," Ken said, remembering how to open the balls as he had to learn when he got that license.

"So what one do you think I'm giving you?" Mack asked, now in a playful mood. "It's a basic starter. Same as the kids get. They are capable enough for this assignment."

"Okay, so let's see," Ken said, thinking back to that Pokémon license test he took a while ago. "The starters here are always Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander. This is a fire type and that's the Charmander. Yeah. I can do this. I know this."

He wound back and gave the ball a toss.

"Charmander, I choose you," Ken said boldly, admittedly noting it felt pretty good to do it.

Ken suddenly felt confident only to hear Mack chuckle as the ball hit the floor and clicked open with its signature sound. With a yellow glow the Pokémon was released, revealing itself as the glow faded. A yellow foxlike Pokémon with orange fur growing out of its ears now stood before him.

"Fennekin," the fox said.

"Wait, that's not a…" Ken looked on puzzled.

"You've got a lot to learn rookie," Mack replied with a smile.

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

Welcome aboard for what I hope you'll find to be a bit of a different Pokémon adventure. This fic will try a genre you probably wouldn't expect in this setting but one I think will fit well, specifically it's meant to mimic trucker films like "Smokey and the Bandit." So get yourself a handle, watch out for the County Mounties, and let's do it like Pruitt used to do it. It's time to put the hammer down.

The opening paragraphs are deliberately designed to be like the "World of Pokémon" openings many of the movies have. It serves kind of the same introductory role here because while you may know the world this is a different spin on it.


	2. New Partners, Old Truck

Truck driver Ken Worth's first day with GS Transport was turning into a very weird one. The mandate that all drivers keep Pokémon for protection he could understand, and he felt ignorant he hadn't thought to prepare for that now, but now his boss had not only assigned him one but it was a breed he'd never heard of or seen before, a little yellow fox named Fennekin. He deployed the scanner his boss had just attached to his phone.

"SCANNING: Fennekin, fox Pokémon. Fire Type," the machine read aloud. "It expels excess heat from its large ears and likes to snack on twigs."

"Ken, meet your 'co-driver' and Fennekin meet your new partner," Mack said with a smile. "They issue these little guys to rookies in Kalos. It's funny you defaulted to Charmander, I tried those in the past and the open flame on the tail caused issues in the trucks to say nothing of evolution problems. Fennekins have an internal flame so that's a non-issue and even after he evolves into a bipedal Braixen or a Delphox he will still fit in the cab; assuming he ever reaches evolutionary level."

"Fennekin," replied the Pokémon, aware he was being complimented.

"Kalos?," Ken asked. "So how did you get one of these here?"

"Got it online," Mack replied. "His original trainer dumped him after a few early losses, I don't think she ever figured out the type advantage thing."

Fennekin's ears drooped at being reminded of that, it was a painful memory.

"Her loss will be your gain though," Mack continued. "He's got a few basic moves. Scratch, tail whip, and ember. Enough to get you out the door. Plus I find the cute ones have a sway to make sure drivers care for them as needed. Ember's a neat one, let's go down to the shop and I'll show you what we taught him after we got him."

Mack walked out and Ken began to follow him before turning to his new partner.

"Ah, Fennekin, come?" Ken asked.

"Fen," the little fox responded then obeyed.

"So you're going to be riding shotgun with me huh?" Ken said to his Pokémon. "Welcome aboard I guess, I hope you like trucks."

"Fen ken fen," Fennekin responded with a smile.

Ken hoped that meant something along the lines of "I sure do" and not anything like "eh, not really as I'm prone to carsickness." The pair followed Mack as he walked down a staircase.

"Starters are nice, they are trained to obey right out of the gate," Mack said. "Of course, if you mess up and they lose trust in you they'll become just as disobedient as any mon. You two should be fine though, you're both hungry to prove yourself. You want to prove you can haul, he wants to prove he's useful after his misfire before. From here on, Fennekin is in your ownership so use him well."

"So, what's it eat?" Ken asked. "Just the twigs?"

"Fennekin snacks on twigs but standard Poké Chow is good idea as an overall meal to keep him happy and healthy," Mack noted.

"Does it need a litter box in the truck?" Ken continued.

"They housebreak starters, just walk him at truck stops and you'll probably be fine," Mack said.

* * *

The pair walked out of the office portion of the dispatch center and into the truck garage. Here a wide variety of trucks sat in various forms of disrepair as they were being repaired. Ken started to get nervous as he noted Mack walking up to one truck with its frame broken clean in half.

"Alright, see how this one is broke," Mack said. "You are going to want to watch this."

Mack checked to make sure the metal was in the right position for a weld. He was glad it was.

"Give your new buddy an order for 'ember – spot weld'," Mack instructed.

"Okay," Ken said. "Fennekin, ember – spot weld that frame!"

"Fen," said the fox as it let loose a blast of flame toward the damaged frame in the form of many little orange sparks.

Ken felt a surge of confidence at his new Pokémon getting a chance to show off. As the attack dissipated the two parts of the frame were now loosely connected. It wasn't perfect, that weld would almost certainly need more work, but the demonstration proved its point.

"Kin fen," said Fennekin proudly, for moment Ken thought it might be bragging as if to say "no big."

"They can be quite helpful in the field," Mack said.

"Color me impressed," Ken said.

A smile of pride crossed Fennekin's face. Ken had to admit, this little fire type certainly could endear himself to others quickly.

"Shall we hook you two up with a truck?" Mack asked.

Now the smile of pride was going along Ken's face.

"Let's roll," Ken said.

* * *

Mack led Ken and Fennekin into the main garage and loading dock area. The area bustled with activity as forklifts scurried back and forth moving cargo in and out of various trucks, they carried everything from giant rolls of steel to basic groceries. One forklift was failing to start as dock workers tried to use it to move a giant bronze boat propeller. One of the workers deployed a Magneton and hooked up some jumper cables to it in an attempt to jump start the vehicle. It looked like the effort was progressing slowly.

"Get that to loading dock 15 once the forklift is working," Mack instructed the dock workers. "I've got a clear truck there ready to load."

The big rigs ranged in appearance from completely stock to uniquely customized, no doubt depending on the driver's taste. Finally, the trio arrived at the available truck, an older model with a flatbed on the back. Its light blue paint scheme matched most of the other trucks at the loading dock. The cab was sized for long journeys with a front row for the driver and some small living quarters behind them.

"Here she is, truck #2,013," Mack said. "It's an old 550 model. It's got some miles on it but it'll get the job done."

"I trained for my commercial license on a 550," Ken said. "It's a stable truck and I'll get it rolling with ease."

"Fen fen," said Fennekin as he looked up amazed at the size of the truck.

"It's got a MerrillChu hydrogen fuel cell system, so it's clean burning and low emission," Mack said. "There's satellite tracking, radio, and television and an air ride suspension. The living quarters including a small bed, a bunk, a makeshift desk, a refrigerator, and a microwave. There's passes for all of the toll roads and ferries already aboard if you need them. And of course, that's to say nothing of its best feature."

"What's that?" Ken asked.

"It's unlocked and the keys are in it," Mack said. "They are in the ignition and waiting for you."

Ken's face lit up like a child on a Christmas morning as dashed over, pulled open the door, and jumped into the cab.

"Fennekin!" said Fennekin, as if to note "hey, don't forget about me," prompting Ken to reach down and give him a boost into the cab.

Ken plopped down into the driver's seat and grabbed the wheel for the first time. He felt empowered as he gripped it. This was finally it. This was his truck and he was ready to drive it anywhere. Fennekin climbed up on the passengers seat and sniffed at the dash. By all intents he liked what he saw too.

The seats had been given a plastic cover with the GS logo on them and it looked like it had been done to cover the fact the seats were worn with age. The old rig wasn't perfect but Ken didn't care, this was the real deal.

"This is the greatest day of my life," Ken said.

"Before you two reach for the ignition key I believe you are missing three things," Mack said. "First off you'll need a nickname, or handle as we call them, for when you use the radio. From now on this truck will be known as Vulpix 3 when you are driving it."

Ken snapped back to reality.

"Uh, Vulpix 3?" Ken asked.

"We assign all the handles based off Pokémon from the main region that the truck driver is from," Mack said. "Usually we name them after the driver's personal Pokémon but since you only have a Kalos Fennekin, and have only had him about 10 minutes at that, we'll just name it after a local Kanto species that shares his type. I've already got a Vulpix 1 and Vulpix 2 so you'll be number three. Second, you need a uniform so please pick some up before you leave. And third you need a cargo. Oh good, here it comes now."

With the whirl of its electric motor audible a forklift truck came into view on the loading dock carrying the large ship's propeller. The dock workers and the Magneton had got it running and it pulled up to the back of the truck to load it in.

"The 550 is modular," Mack said. "We've got a flatbed on it for now but we can switch this out for almost anything depending on the task at hand. We've got options for a box van, a tanker, a dump truck, a tow truck, and more."

The dock workers deposited the propeller into the back of the truck and began chaining it in place for the journey ahead.

"Wow," Ken said. "Where's that thing headed?"

"The docks at Vermilion City," Mack said. "There's some cruise ship in dry dock that needs it."

Ken rolled his eyes. The irony was rich with the assignment, all those runs to Vermilion City and back in the delivery van and when he finally moves up to intercity trucking he gets sent back immediately. He let out a slight laugh.

"I'm ready, willing, and able Mack," Ken said, hopping out to get his uniform.

"Fen Fennekin," Fennekin added.

"I think he's stoked up and raring to go too," Ken noted.

"You should keep him out of the ball on your first run," Mack said. "Give you a chance to get to know him better."

Mack stayed to oversee the loading process as Ken dashed off to get his uniforms. He soon returned now dressed in a light blue driver's uniform with two vertical yellow stripes highlights, the later hue almost matched Fennekin's fur in a way. Fennekin let out a happy bark as Ken came running back to the truck. He hopped in the back to check the load and make sure the propeller was secured before setting off, the dock crew were professionals but no driver worth his salt would leave without double checking their load. Mack smiled at that as the Ken climbed back in the cab and put on his seat belt. Fennekin hopped back on the passenger seat.

"I think this big rig is ready to roll," Ken said as he shut the door.

"I think you're right," Mack replied, speaking to Ken through the open driver's side window. "Time for you to get out on the road and make all of us some money."

"That's a big 10-4 good buddy," Ken said.

"Fennekin," Fennekin added.

"And I think that's a big 10-4 from the good foxy," Ken joked.

Ken turned the key and truck #2,013 came to life, its engine letting out a loud roar like a Charizard ready for battle as it fired up. There was a slight hiss as the air brakes released. A few puffs of black smoke came out of its exhaust stacks before dissipating as the hydrogen system fully engaged. Ken's adrenaline was rushing as reached over and grabbed the gear shift, he pushed down the clutch and the brake with his feet and shifted the truck into first gear.

"Let's roll," Ken said.

"Yup, hit the road," Mack replied.

"Catch ya later Mack," Ken said, he let his foot off the break and with a jerk the truck began to move forward away from the loading dock.

"And I'll catch both of you later too," Mack said.

Ken started to wave goodbye out the window only to have Fennekin leap over onto his lap to give its own wave goodbye to Mack. It caught Ken caught by surprise but given that Fennekin probably felt Mack gave him back some sense of purpose he could see why he'd want to thank him.

"Fennekin!" Fennekin said in Mack's direction as the boss started getting smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror.

"I get you're excited but maybe you can remember to be a little careful when I'm driving alright," Ken said.

He reached over to put Fennekin back on the passenger's seat then reached up and grabbed the microphone of the roof-mounted radio.

"Dispatch, this is Vulpix 3 and we are departing now for Vermilion," Ken said.

"Roger, Vulpix 3," the dispatcher responded. "Welcome to the team and drive safe out there. We'll let the dock know you're coming."

"Thank you dispatch," Ken replied. "I'm eastbound and down, 10-4."

"Fennekin!" added Fennekin loudly.

"Why don't you leave the radio to me," Ken said half-jokingly.

"Fennekin," the fox replied as if to apologize, drooping his ears a little.

Ken saw his partner's mood lowering a little. He reached over and gave the little fox a quick pet on the head.

"No worries bud," Ken said. "We got plenty of time to get a system worked out as we go."

* * *

The truck reached the front gate of the complex and slowly turned out onto the road. There was no turning back now as Ken pushed down the gas pedal and the blue truck began to accelerate. A cheeky smile came across his face.

"Hey Fennekin," Ken said. "Please don't mind but I've always wanted to do this."

He reached up and pulled the chord to sound the truck's horn, giving it two long blows. Fennekin got a chuckle out of the act.

"This is it fire type," Ken said. "It's you and me against the world. We're on the road to Vermilion City."

Fennekin had a bit of a smile on his muzzle. He gestured his head toward the window. Ken was starting to understand his new partner a bit.

"Are you serious?" Ken asked.

Fennekin nodded his head and gestured to the window again. Ken shrugged and flipped the switch to roll down the passenger window just enough for Fennekin to stick his head out. The little fox flipped his tongue out and was having some fun with the whole ordeal as the truck made its way through the streets of Celadon City. He perked up his ears as the truck passed the Celadon City Pokémon Gym where a young trainer and his Bulbasaur were walking through the front door. Fennekin pulled his head back in as the truck turned onto the tollway and started accelerating toward Vermilion City. Now the real fun would begin…


	3. First Stop: The Vermilion City Docks

Traffic on the tollway was light as GS Transport's Truck #2,013 made its way toward Vermilion City on the inaugural run with its new crew at the wheel. The big bronze cruise ship propeller in its cargo area glistened in the morning sun as the big rig transported it toward the port where it was needed.

With another pop of the clutch Ken the driver now had his new truck up to highway speeds. He had just set the cruise control, selecting a speed a pinch below the legal limit, when he felt an odd burst of heat strike him. He looked over to his new Pokémon partner Fennekin. The little fire type was now curled up in the passenger seat and venting a little heat off through his ears.

"Well I'm glad you're relaxed," Ken told his Pokémon. "Some say the first load is the hardest. Can you imagine how much trouble I'll be in if I trash this truck on the first day? I'll be back to driving that purple minivan I had at Rattata Express for the next decade."

"Fennekin fen kin," Fennekin replied, his tone almost seemed to be one of "I can relate."

* * *

Fennekin looked out the window for a moment and thought back to just how he'd ended up "riding shotgun" in a giant truck and tasked with protecting its loads from danger. He wondered what Professor Sycamore would say if he could see him now. Like most Fennekins he'd been breed specifically as a starter Pokémon for beginning trainers in Kalos. He remembered how proud he was when a brown-haired girl named Camille choose him over a Chespin and a Froakie and they set off to see the world together.

They got off to a good start with Fennekin cooking a gym leader's Vivillon with his ember attack in Santalune City before he got knocked out by the Surskit the opponent sent out next. Camille used another Pokémon to finish the battle and win her Bug Badge but Fennekin wondered if she lost confidence in him after that defeat. Camille's partnership with him started souring after the gym battle with the little fox finding himself used less and less. Without a real chance to level up and improve the little fox's performance in the battles he did get into suffered even more. It felt like he was spending more and more time in his Poké Ball as the losses started to pile up. After he lost to a Tyrunt at the Cyllage City Gym Camille seemed to simply give up on him. He still remembered the last thing she said to him.

"You were a nice start Fennekin but I'm playing to win," Camille said before returning him to his ball for the last time. "Wonder how much I can get for him. He's probably more fit to be a pet or do something in those showcase things than battle."

Fennekin had no idea how long he spent in his Poké Ball after that but it gave him a long time to think about those last words. "More fit to be a pet or do something in those showcase things." He knew he'd likely never see Camille again but he'd still show her. He was tough, he was resourceful, and all he needed was a second chance to prove it to the world. He couldn't wait until he could get out of his ball again although his jaw about hit the floor when he finally did and found out Camille sold him to trucking company to basically be one of its guard Pokémon.

Still, now that he had gotten the mulligan he needed Fennekin promised himself he'd succeed with it. He didn't get much training at the garage, other than some of the crew teaching him how to use his ember attack to weld metal and a couple of rides around town to see if he'd behave himself in a truck, but he was promised he'd get one of the company's drivers as his new trainer and another chance to see the world after he did well.

Fennekin smiled as he looked out the window. Today was going to be the best day of his life. He had gotten another trainer and while this Ken guy would certainly be a little rough around the edges, he had a feeling this partnership could be a good one. Ken choose him, even if he hadn't kept Pokémon before when push came to shove he agreed to take him along and Fennekin wouldn't forget that. It was good to be wanted again.

* * *

For Ken the chance to drive for GS was the result of years of hard work. His mother had been a Pokémon trainer in her youth, albeit not very successfully, and his father worked in the office of a construction company. While his sister Sandra took up a major interest in Pokémon and often hung out with their mom Ken was always more drawn his dad's work, fascinated by the big vehicles that the company used. The dump trucks were his favorite as a child and from that his love of the trucking business grew.

When many of his classmates, including Sandra, paused their studies to attempt Pokémon journeys he stayed in school and studied hard. Once he graduated he moved into trade school to learn about truck engines and the business. After taking classes at a truck driving school he earned the licenses he needed to hit the road and got his job with RatEx.

All that time he spent memorizing the streets of Celadon City and taking care to deliver his loads safely led to getting this shot at the big time but nothing had specifically prepared him for having a Pokémon partner. The twist was however fast turning into a pleasant surprise for him. He was honestly looking forward to calling Sandra to tell her about Fennekin once they got to Vermilion City. He knew she'd get a kick out of this. On the business side of things, he also needed to know what kind of supplies he'd have to pick up to care for the fire type properly, they had left Celadon City in a hurry, and she likely knew that information better than anyone else on his cell phone's contact list.

* * *

Traffic was light on the tollway on this morning. Several trucks from a number of different companies shared the road with a wide variety of commuters and travelers. Both Ken and Fennekin were surprised as a large bus blew past their truck like it was standing still, the brown bus bore the unmistakable brown livery of the popular intercity line Stoutland that naturally included the image of its titular ride Pokémon. With little traffic to worry about the newest odd couple of the interstate had a little time to start building up their new partnership.

"Alright, so all you can say is your species name Fennekin?" Ken asked his Pokémon.

"Fen," replied the little fox.

"We can work out a system around that," Ken said. "I figure that whole 'understand each other's every move' thing like the trainers battling on TV must come with time but for now let's start small. You understand me already right?"

"Fen," Fennekin replied.

"Is 'Fen" what you say when you mean 'yes?'" Ken asked.

"Fen," said Fennekin.

"What do you say for no?" Ken asked.

"Kin," replied Fennekin.

"Okay, that's good," Ken said. "We can do this. Do you want me to put you back in your ball when we get to Vermilion at the end of the run?"

"Kin," Fennekin replied.

"Alright," Ken said. "Do you want to fly solo on guard duty or do you want to battle and capture some backup Pokémon?"

"Kin, Fen Fennekin," Fennekin said.

It sounded like the Pokémon wanted some partners in his assignment. Ken wasn't surprised, Mack had suggested he use the starter to get a few teammates.

"How about a name," Ken said inquisitively. "Fennekin is your species but I can give you a different handle if you'd like. What about Fred? You seem kind of like a Fred."

Fennekin growled at the proposal.

"Okay, not Fred," Ken replied. "How about Lil' Trucker or Firefox or Bandit? You like any of those?"

"Kin, Kin, Kin," Fennekin replied.

"Reynard?" Ken asked.

Fennekin again answered the suggestion with a growl.

"So you just want to be called Fennekin then?" Ken asked.

"Fen, Fennekin," Fennekin answered.

"Alright, Fennekin it will stay then," Ken noted.

He reached over and gave the little fox a pat on the head. As he finished the truck's radio buzzed to life with a message from another GS driver.

"This is Raticate 2 with a Smokey report to those on the Vermilion tollway," a female voice on the radio chimed in. "Officer Jenny with her clock is hanging out just passed mile marker 23. Keep it legal folks, the local yokels are out in force this morning and their move 'Radar' is super effective against our type. Over."

Ken reached up for the radio.

"This is Vulpix 3," Ken replied. "Thanks for heads up but I was just turned loose with this Zangoose and I don't want a ticket on the first day. I'm staying steady at three under the limit. Over."

"Welcome to the GS team fire foxy," Raticate 2 replied. "Sounds like a good lead-off approach."

The conversations on the radio continued, consisting of the usual trucker chatter.

"Piplup 7 is calling out to the world," came one voice on the radio with a Sinnoh accent. "I'm running Kanto for the first time and I've got a question that is just burning up inside me like my Flareon's Flare Blitz…Anyone know a good place to get a nice slice of pizza in Fuchsia?"

"This is Charmander 21 with a big 10-4 on that," another trucker replied. "Try good old Heart to Heart Mark's. He's got seven types of cheese and he knows how to use them. Over."

Ken flipped the radio off when a real motormouth started getting into a long story about this "super cute hitchhiker" he once picked up near Castelia City that turned out to be a Zorua looking to bum a ride. A smile came across his face as Vermilion City came into view. Fennekin looked up and similarly had a moment of awe as the glistening buildings and deep blue waters of the port city beckoned them forward.

* * *

Exiting from the tollway Truck #2,013 cruised under a giant arch decoration that welcomed visitors to the city before maneuvering toward the harbor. Crossing a short suspension bridge the truck entered into the bustling dock area. Ken looked down at clock on his truck's dashboard, the light traffic meant they were coming in a few minutes ahead of schedule. Ken adjusted his radio from the truckers' highway frequency to one used by dockyard staff.

"GS Vermilion Dock, good morning," Ken said into the microphone. "This is Vulpix 3 and I've got a big bronze propeller looking for a ship."

"Roger, Vulpix 3," came the company dockmaster's voice on his radio. "Proceed to the cruise ship terminal and turn in at the loading dock. That will be the second entrance if you are coming in from the city side. Follow their instructions for parking and we'll get unloaded. Captain Kristensen will meet you to receive it."

"GS Vermilion, 10-4," Ken replied.

"Once we get that propeller off your truck I'll see about getting you another cargo," the dockmaster said, a sound of shuffling papers was audible over the radio alongside the comment. "Looks like I've got some Poké Mart supplies bound for Pewter City. Check in at the office, I think it might be a few hours before that load is ready to move."

Truck #2,013 arrived at the entrance to the terminal and pulled up to the gate. A guard came out to great them. Fennekin watched as Ken rolled down the window to talk with her.

"Good morning, that's a nice piece of metal you've got on the back there," said the guard. "Is this the one for the _Alola Oasis_?"

"They didn't give me a name for the boat but I was told to bring it here today," Ken replied. "It's for a cruise ship."

"Well then that's the one," the guard said. " _Alola Oasis_ is in the first dry dock but it's a little tight over there parking wise. Why don't you just park your truck on the main cargo dock and we'll unload it there. The cruise ship _Anne_ is docked here today, you'll have a great view of it there if you think of that as a nice plus."

"Didn't that ship sink?" Ken asked.

"The _St. Anne_ went down but they built a new one with a slightly different name," the guard said.

"Huh," Ken replied. "As long as nobody messes with my truck I park it anywhere you want."

Ken rolled down Fennekin's window as he drove into the terminal area. The little fox had never seen anything like this before with giant ships docked right to well-used warehouses. The hustle of trucks heading off to inland destinations with freshly-arrived cargos from across the oceans reminded him of the Celedon City garage.

Ken rounded the final corner and found a parking spot on the dock. As big as Truck #2,013 was it was completely dwarfed in size by the gleaming white _Anne_ visible at a dock in the waters nearby. Two dockworkers followed the truck to its parking spot with a forklift to unload the propeller along with an official-looking man in a captain's uniform. With a turn of the key the truck's engine was silenced.

"First run done," Ken said to his Pokémon partner. "I hope they are all this easy."

Fennekin could only roll his eyes at that remark. If that statement was going to be true, he certainly wouldn't be there.

Ken pulled out the paperwork for the delivery as he opened the door and stepped out of the cab. Fennekin was fast to follow. The captain walked up to meet him. Ken quickly looked it over as he shut the cab door, making a few marks on it with a pen. The dockworkers had already removed the propeller from the truck and were lowering it onto the dock with their forklift.

"Are you Captain Kristensen?" Ken asked as the captain approached.

"Indeed, I am," Captain Kristensen responded. "I assume this is my new propeller."

"Yup," Ken responded before handing over the paperwork to the captain. "Please sign where noted to accept your delivery."

The captain gave the propeller a fast look over before determining it was ready to use. He liked what he saw. Captain Kristensen signed the paperwork and handed it back to Ken.

"I can't wait to break this one in on our voyage to Hau'oli City next week," Captain Kristensen said.

"Thank you for shipping with GS, we always do our very best," Ken said with a smile.

As Captain Kristensen and the dockworkers departed Ken let out a sigh of relief that his first cargo had reached its destination. His attention then immediately turned to Fennekin as the little fox looked up at him.

"It's time we use this break in the action to get you a little more equipped for the road," Ken said.

Ken reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, quickly dialing a number. The phone rang just once before it was answered.

"Hello Sandy," Ken said. "I just delivered my first load for GS but you are not going to believe what else I've done today..."

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

Because he's there to protect Ken's truck Fennekin really is "riding shotgun" in a literal sense in this fic. That phrase originated in the United States in reference to stagecoach crews during the "Wild West" days. Whenever the stagecoach had a valuable cargo aboard it would typically be staffed by a crew of two with a driver and a guard to ride alongside them up front. The guard was tasked with protecting the stagecoach from any sort of attack by outlaws or anyone else and a shotgun was often their weapon of choice, thus the phrase. Granted Fennekin has to make do with fire attacks instead of a firearm but his role is the same.


	4. Trouble on the Road Ahead

Although it was expected to be a rainy day in the Sinnoh region professional Pokémon trainer Sandra Worth still planned to make the most of it. Today she was staying at a small bed and breakfast in the colorful community of Floaroma Town and after a wonderful morning meal she was already packing up her belongs in preparation to get back on the road.

Sandra had just completed a stint working at Professor Rowan's Pokémon Summer Academy. With her instruction and research role finished for now she was glad to get back to the fun task of adventuring through the region and preparing for its upcoming league competition. The Sinnoh League was becoming a bit of a Mankey on her back, she'd long since won the required gym battles to make it to the finals but she'd never gotten beyond the top-16 in the knockout rounds compared to her prior semifinals runs in Kanto, Kalos, and Unova. She hoped this year would be different. After having acquired a nice chunk of Lopunnite on this trip she and her Lopunny were looking to master the resulting mega evolution to give her a second strong fighting type alongside her Blaziken.

The rain today was light and producing an almost rainbow mist that was giving Floaroma Town a very interesting look. The mist was so thin the sun was starting to shine through it. Sandra took in the sight from her second story room when there was a knock at the door.

"Ms. Worth, is there anything you need before you go," asked the B&B's kindly owner Mrs. Moise.

"I think I should be good Mrs. Moise," Sandra replied. "You run a nice place here. It's always a treat for myself and my Pokémon when we get to stay here."

"I'll be at the front desk if you need me," Mrs. Moise replied.

"I'll see you in a few minutes," Sandra noted.

At that moment Sandra's cell phone rang.

"BREAKER 1, BREAKER 1… BREAKER 1, BREAKER 1," went the customized ringer.

That trucker-slang recording could mean only one thing, her delivery driver brother Ken was calling in. Sandra expected she'd get a call from her twin today. Ken had been excited for weeks about finally starting to drive the over-the-road trucks and today was the big day he would. No doubt he wanted to brag and show her his rig. She picked up.

"Hello Sandy," said Ken on the phone. "I just delivered my first load for GS but you are not going to believe the day I am having."

"I find that hard to believe Kenny," Sandra replied. "You get your rig rolling and start delivering the big cargoes yet?"

"Yes," Ken replied. "I want to switch to video chat though as I…"

"You want to show me the truck don't you?" said Sandra as she cut him off.

"Well a little but I…"

* * *

Standing on the docks in Vermilion City Ken again found himself cut off as Sandra flipped her phone's camera on.

"Alright, I'm looking bro," Sandra said.

Ken turned his phone's camera on and pointed it at the truck. Not in the shot Fennekin looked up at him as if wanting for his moment. While it wasn't what he called for Ken couldn't help by smile as he showed off his truck. The bright blue truck filled the frame on the camera.

"Here she is," Ken said. "GS Transport Truck #2,013. A cabover 550 Dittocruiser with a low emission MerrillChu hydrogen fuel cell system. It had 550 Ponytas worth of power under the cab when rolled off the assembly line and while it has some mileage on it but I suspect most of that is still down there."

"It's certainly stylish," Sandra replied.

"But I have something else to show you that will probably interest you more," Ken said.

"Oh?" Sandra asked.

Ken looked at Fennekin.

"You're on buddy," he said as he turned the camera down to the face the little yellow starter.

"Fennekin!" Fennekin said proudly as he appeared on the phone.

A giant smile appeared on Sandra's face.

"Oh, Ken, you finally got a Pokémon!" Sandra said. "A Fennekin huh? He's so cute. And here I thought you were mostly indifferent on Pokémon. What made you finally get one?"

"The company mandated it," Ken replied. "He's literally riding shotgun to guard the truck. My boss likes fire types and he choose this Fennekin for the task."

"You warming up to him?" Sandra asked.

"Fen fen," Fennekin noted.

"Yeah, he's right," Ken said. "I am."

"Fennekins are a great starter," Sandra noted. "They can develop quite a personality given time but they're really gung-ho to help their trainers, no matter how much of a greenhorn they are. Wait, You didn't name him something crazy like Fred or Lil' Trucker or something did you?"

"Fennekin was very insistent that I didn't," Ken noted. "This little guy is the reason I wanted to call you. I got him right before I got the truck and drove to Vermilion straight away. You've been keeping Pokémon for years, is there anything specific new trainers need to acquire?"

"What did the boss give you?" Sandra inquired.

"Fennekin, some Poké Balls, and a PokéScan for my phone," Ken replied.

"Alright, basic stuff," Sandra replied. "You're going to want to go to a Poké Mart and get the trainer starter kit. That will have six food bowls, a couple of low-end potions, heals, and repels, etcetera. Get some super potion too, it's good stuff."

"Six food bowls?" Ken asked, shocked at it.

"They are washable Ken, don't worry," Sandra said. "They are collapsible too for easy storage. It's for when your team fills up. You can't have more than six Pokémon with you at once so why carry more than six bowls."

"Got it," Ken said. "I think got a few hours to kill before my next load so I'll go pick that kit up."

"Alright, we'll I'm going to get on the road myself," Sandra noted. "It took you 15 years Kenny but I'm glad to see you finally decided to take up training. If it runs in the family, you'll do fine."

"And if it doesn't?" Ken asked.

"Then Fennekin will whip you into shape until it does," Sandra replied with confidence. "Pokémon have a way of bringing out the best in their trainer if given the chance. And I know you've got it in you to do this. If you are half the trainer that you are a trucker, you'll do great."

"So, before you go I have to ask this," Ken noted. "Now that I've got a Pokémon how long until you get a truck?"

"I can't see that happening Ken," Sandra replied.

"Never say never sis," Ken joked. "I know a good dealer in Veridian City. He can hook you up with a nice starter truck, maybe a little pickup with an automatic transmission?"

"I'll catch ya later Ken," Sandra said, laughing off his comment. "Good luck training Fennekin. We'll have to finally have a real battle now the next time we meet up."

"We'll cross that highly lopsided bridge when we come to it but I hope you have a great one," Ken said.

"That's a 10-4 good brother, keep on trucking," Sandra replied playfully.

"And you keep on training soul sister," Ken said as he hung up.

* * *

As Ken and Fennekin made their way toward the GS office at the docks. The crew, passengers, and a few interested Pokémon trainers made their way on and off the cruise ship _Anne_. One youngster named William, a belt off full of Poké Balls strapped to his waist, looked over from the cruise ship toward the dock. The site of a lone truck parked well away from any other intrigued him. As a crewmember of the _Anne_ walked by the trainer decided to ask about the big rig.

"Hey mister, why's that truck parked there?" William asked. "Shouldn't it be parked with the other trucks?"

The crewmember rolled his eyes. Kids were always so curious so he decided to mess around with him.

"They put it off to the side because there's a rare Pokémon hiding under it so they want to give it room for it to come out," the crewmember replied.

"How rare, is it something like a shiny or something super rare like a Mew?" William asked.

"Ah, the second one," the crewmember said. "Yeah, there's a Mew under that truck."

William's eyes focused in on the truck as the crewmember walked away chuckling. If there was a Mew under that truck then he'd have to move it and catch it. It was a good thing his Blastoise knew surf so he'd be able to get into that area. He ran off the boat to get down to the docks.

* * *

Ken and Fennekin could only gaze in awe at the size of GS Transport's Vermilion City dock. Here container ships could loaded and unloaded with their cargoes being placed onto trains or trucks to be taken throughout Kanto and Johto. Many of these ships came in from other regions. The dock was a large complex with room for two large container ships to be loaded and unloaded. A pair of giant cranes sat right on the dock ready for action. All of GS's trucks might have Pokémon-themed names but all of its ships were named for cities, each barring a bright blue hull matching the trucks with the GS Ball logo and the company's name written down the side. One container ship, the GS _Petalburg City_ , was being loaded as another, the GS _Viridian City_ , cast off and departed. A third ship, GS _Alto Mare_ , waited in the harbor after sailing in from Kalos. As soon as _Viridian City_ sailed off it would take its spot to be unloaded.

Ken and his Pokémon watched as trucks carrying containers pulled up under the crane before it swopped down and latched onto them. The dockworkers quickly unhooked each container from the truck before the crane lifted them skyward then placed them in the _Petalburg City_ 's cargo area. Each truck was unloaded in just seconds then drove off so the next one could repeat the process.

"I bet you thought you had to go to a play or a contest hall to see choreography this good," Ken said. "Ever seen anything like this before?"

"Kin," Fennekin replied. "Kin Fennekin."

"Let's get to the office," Ken said. "I'll put money on it they are going to switch the flatbed off our truck and have us move one of these containers on our next run."

* * *

Out in the harbor the _Alto Mare_ was under the command of the highly-experienced Captain Capello on this voyage. She stood in the wheelhouse looking on as her vessel's sister ship departed. With a Vermilion City harbor pilot guiding her ship into the dock Captain Capello could focus on an important task at hand. While her ship was filled to the brim with giant containers and the wide variety of cargoes within them the most valuable things aboard were packed into the pair of armored black cases that she was holding in her hands. Once they docked, she would personally deliver them to the office to be placed on a truck bound for Pallet Town. She only hoped word of these case's contents didn't leak.

* * *

Compared to the massive ship dock GS's trucking office in Vermilion City was a rather cramped little building, any way you cut it this location was a far cry from the distribution center in Celedon City. It boasted a big parking lot filled with trucks awaiting assignment but only a small garage with just two bays clearly intended only for small repairs. The office was a cramped area albeit one decorated with stylishly majestic pictures of the company's ships on its walls. As Ken and Fennekin entered they found themselves in the lobby. A female clerk sat behind a sheet of bulletproof glass while the others in the lobby, almost certainly more drivers awaiting the start of their next assignments, gathered on couches set up around a small TV. At this moment a commercial was on featuring a man and a Rockruff wearing a bright teal collar with a large stone on the front. The rock somehow dwarfed the one all Rockruffs naturally had up front.

"With an Everstone Collar you need not worry about your best friend evolving into something you can't manage," the man said. "Everstone Collars will help make sure your family pet can stay just that. Isn't that right Rockruff?"

"Rock ruff," the little Alolan dog yapped before licking the man.

"Good girl Rockruff," he replied.

Ken started walking over to the desk.

"Hey bud, no Pokémon in the dock office," said one of the drivers on the couch. "No exceptions. It's tight enough in here as it as."

"Oh, sorry," Ken replied. "I didn't know. First day."

He pulled out Fennekin's Poké Ball and quickly began going through his head on how to use it before recalling the proper callback. Fennekin was giving him a dirty look as he knew what had to come next.

"Sorry bud, rules are rules," Ken said to his Pokémon. "Fennekin return."

A little red beam shot forth from the front of the ball and hit Fennekin, pulling him back into the container. Ken felt a little bad about that but he'd be sure to let him back out as soon as possible. He walked up to the desk. He introduced himself to the clerk.

"Hello, I'm Ken Worth and my handle is Vulpix 3," Ken said. "I just dropped off a cruise ship propeller and the dockmaser said he had another cargo waiting for me."

The clerk had a stoic look on her face.

"Yes, he dropped off the information already," the clerk said, pulling out a file and sliding it though a gap in the glass to Ken. "You need to switch out your flatbed for an intermodal setup. You'll be hauling a container full of factory-fresh Poké Balls to Pewter City to restock its Poké Mart. Your container is aboard the _Alto Mare_ and will be unloaded in about two hours once it docks. The contents of the container needs to be in Pewter City by 7 p.m. tonight."

"Thank you miss," Ken said, taking his new manifest from her.

The new driver looked up at the clock on the wall. It was already 11 a.m. When Sandra started her Pokémon journey it took her a good three weeks to make it from Pewter City to Vermilion City; he now had to do that same journey in about six hours. Good thing he had a truck and a good knowledge of Kanto and Johto's roads.

* * *

The Intercity Routes, or I-Routes as most called them, were the roads favored by motor vehicles connecting communities across various regions. Motor vehicles weren't ban from the regular routes but given the fact most of those favored by trainers were unpaved and narrow it was easy to see why most would avoid them. Ken knew the I-Route network like the back of his hand, a trip from Vermilion to Pewter was just a simple run up I-Route 52 which connected Pewter City to Celadon City after he went back west on the toll road. He'd be at his destination faster than you could say…

"And breaking news from Celadon City, where we have an urgent traffic report coming in involving a closure of I-Route 52," said a news anchor on the TV. "We now go live to Alfie in the Channel 17 Traffic Chopper. Alfie take it away."

Ken's eyes went wide as he looked at the TV, unable to believe this sudden bit of bad luck. The scene changed to show a long traffic backup from a bridge closure. The reason for the closure was immediately visible, a Snorlax had plopped itself down in the middle of a bridge for a nap.

"Thanks Rick," Alfie said. "I-Route 52 is going to be closed for the next several hours as rangers work to wake and move a Snorlax that is now blocking traffic on the Mulberry Bridge. All traffic is encouraged to seek alternate routes for now but we've gotten word the rangers expect to reopen the bridge by 6 p.m. Backups should still be expected once they do. Back to you Rick."

* * *

Ken slowly walked out of the office, realizing that any shot at his first day being a normal one was fast evaporating. With I-Route 52 unavailable that left Ken with only two other options to reach Pewter City. The first was to go north through Saffron City and Cerulean City but that meant a much longer route, Saffron City's legendarily bad traffic jams, and a run through the mountains on the infamous I-Route 3; the Mt. Moon bypass known to all truckers as the "Pikachu Trail." The name wasn't a cute reference to local fauna, there were almost no wild Pikachus in the Mt. Moon area, but a sarcastic joke to how the road there tended to meander back and forth along the mountain side like the zigzagging tail of a certain popular yellow rodent.

Ken knew he'd never make his deadline with that route which meant that there was only one other alternative; take the regular Route 52, the standard trail that connected Pewter City and Celadon City instead. Route 52 was unpaved, rough as a washboard in places, and quite isolated. Even Pokémon trainers usually avoided it since it was long, had very little in the way of unique Pokémon, and no Pokémon Centers. It was however 50 miles shorter than I-Route 52 so it was more direct. Ken knew it was likely his only option. With a new route in his head he flipped out Fennekin's Poke Ball and released his partner.

"Fennekin, I choose you," Ken said as he popped the ball open.

Fennekin came out of his ball in the usual white blast of energy with an annoyed expression on his face. Given how much time he'd spent in that ball of late before he was given to Ken it wasn't hard to see why he probably wanted to avoid going back in it for a while.

"Welcome back Fennekin," Ken said.

Ken was starting to wonder if the "I choose you" expression wasn't a little cliché. Maybe he'd need to think up his own expression when popping one of his Pokémon out or sending them into battle. He decided he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Even with his day going off the rails Pokémon battling wasn't exactly something he felt was imminent; the day would come but he and Fennekin had plenty of time to work on that first.

* * *

With a small gap in their schedule Ken and Fennekin quickly hit up the Vermilion City Poké Mart to pick up the supplies they'd need for the journey ahead. The business was conveniently located within an easy walking distance of the docks. Their purchases included a small bag of kibble for Fennekin, some general purpose groceries for Ken, and the starter kit Sandra recommended. Ken also bought a book, "The Journey Starts Here: A Beginner's Guide to Pokémon Training and Battling," to assure he'd get off to a good start on his new, somewhat mandatory hobby. He considered buying a second book titled "Pokémon Showcase Tactics of the Stars: Tips from the Best Kalos Queens" based on it having a Fennekin on the cover among others but his Fennekin was a bit more than eager to convince him against that choice. The stroll back to the truck was a simple one. If Fennekin had any ill will about having to go back in his ball for a bit it evaporated the minute he found a few twigs to munch under a tree on the sidewalk. He was eating one happily, Ken having collected the others for later, as they arrived back at the dock to reclaim their 550 and prepare it for its departure.

* * *

Ken looked down the dock to see that the _Alto Mare_ was now arriving and would soon start unloading. The 550 model was designed for quick changes, the local crew would likely have him ready to haul that container in a jiffy. The thought of getting his truck back on the road put a smile across Ken's face until his truck came back into view…with a preteen boy looking like he was ready to tamper with it.

"Machop, use strength and move that truck," William ordered his Pokémon as he tossed its ball toward the truck.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!" Ken shouted as he and Fennekin ran over to Truck #2,013.

The Machop was released from its ball before it could get up to the truck Fennekin had already taken up a defensive position by its front bumper. The little fox started growling defiantly at the larger Pokémon.

"Hey, watch it," William said as Ken arrived, still carrying his groceries as he ran up to the scene. "There's a Mew under this truck and I intend to catch it on my quest to be a Pokémon Master."

"Huh?" replied Ken, his mind taking a minute to process what this kid had just told him. "You…You think the legendary Pokémon Mew is hiding under my truck? Why?"

"I heard it was from some very reputable sources," William said, trying to bluff his way to what he wanted. "So now all I have to do is move this truck then I can battle and catch Mew."

"I think you're a little mistaken young man," Ken said.

"My name is William," the young trainer corrected him.

"Whatever William," Ken said. "But I've got to move this truck anyway to get another cargo so if you want to look around after I drive away feel free."

"Oh no, what if Mew is hiding in the undercarriage and stays there when you leave," William said. "You aren't driving off anywhere until I get Mew."

"Mew is not under my truck!" Ken said. "Are you crazy? Why would a legendary Pokémon be hiding under a truck parked on a dock?"

"Mew works in mysterious ways," William replied.

"What does that even mean?" Ken said.

Fennekin continued to give Machop a dirty look.

"If you won't let me move this truck so I can battle Mew than I'll battle you for that right," William said boldly.

"I'm not going to battle Pokémon over something this silly," Ken said. "Let me do my job. I've only got one Pokémon anyway."

"A one-on-one fight it is," William declared. "Your sickly Jolteon is going down. Machop return. Go Bellsprout!"

William swapped his Pokémon.

"It's time to take out this highway trash," William said confidently.

Ken was about to call dock security when suddenly Fennekin darted into a battle position and barked to his trainer. He then held up a paw toward the Bellsprout and extended his claws if to get ready for a scratch attack; only to instead use them to make a "bring it" gesture.

"You want a battle?" Ken asked Fennekin.

"Fen," Fennekin replied.

"Alright, we'll do this for you then," Ken replied. "It's on kid. Just one thing before we start. Fennekin here isn't a Jolteon."

William went for his Pokédex as he suddenly realized he may have made a serious tactical error.

"Fennekin, drop the hammer," Ken called out, mentally noting he liked the sound of that much more than "I choose you." "Scratch attack now!"

"Fen," Fennekin replied as he charged into his first battle for his new trainer.


	5. Shifting into Battle

Truck driver Ken Worth's first day on the road kept going further into the bizarre. He understood Mack's logic in requiring his drivers be Pokémon trainers to protect their trucks from incidents or attackers. He was however having a hard time though understanding how the first one to try and mess with his rig had somehow ended up being a pre-teen trainer with a misguided at best approach to locating legendary Pokémon.

Young William was bound and determined to catch the Pokémon Mew and thanks to a rumor that was getting out of hand he was now convinced the legendary was, for unknown reasons, hiding under Ken's truck parked near the S.S. _Anne_ on the Vermilion City docks. Having now pressured the trucker into a one-on-one battle he'd sent out his Bellsprout to whoop his little Jolteon's tail only to have Ken accept the challenge then tell him his Pokémon wasn't a Jolteon. As the battle begin William used his Pokédex to identify Ken's Pokemon as a fire-type Fennekin, only now realizing he'd made a serious tactical error sending out a grass type against a fire type instead of an electric one.

On the other side Ken was reluctant to send Fennekin into battle after they'd only known each other for just a few hours but the little yellow fox was ready to rumble. His losing streak that ended his tenure with his first trainer burned in the back of his mind and he was bound and determined to end it the first time he got a chance. He was going to make sure this would be that moment. Ken could pick up on the fox's need for a fight and now found himself ordering the little guy into action.

"Fennekin, drop the hammer," Ken said. "Scratch attack now!"

"Fen," Fennekin responded.

With several of the longshoremen who worked on the dock now watching on Fennekin ran toward Bellsprout and launched himself skyward with claws bared. William immediately tried to have his Pokémon counter it.

"Bellsprout, wrap it up," William shouted. "End this quick or you aren't going to like how this one could go."

The two Pokémon both connected on their attacks. Fennekin slashed his claws right across Bellsprout's face only to get tangled up in the vines the grass type deployed. Ken started mentally going through the trio of attacks Mack told him Fennekin had.

"Fennekin, give it a tail whip and bust loose," Ken said.

"Fen," Fennekin responded.

The little fox threw the weight of his body into it as he used his tail to smack Bellsprout. It didn't have much if any effect. William had a smile on his face. Type disadvantage or no, he and Bellsprout likely had the edge in battle experience here and they could use that.

"You'll have to try harder than that you pair of big rig boneheads," William said. "Bellsprout, vine whip!"

The grass type started swinging Fennekin around in circles with its vines before releasing it. The little fox flew through the air right into the front of Truck #2,013, connecting with a loud thud before falling to the ground.

"Whip it good," William quipped.

Ken dashed over to check on Fennekin.

"You okay buddy?" the new trainer asked.

The little fox pulled himself up. He was a little dazed for a moment but shock it off. The look on his muzzle was one of pure rage. There was now a fire burning in his eyes.

"Fen," Fennekin said.

"You want to keep going?" Ken said.

"Fen fen," the little fox responded.

Ken gave him the thumbs up to do so. He then glanced over at his truck and noted the impact had dented his rig just above the left side headlight. Now it was Ken's turn to get a burning fire in his eyes.

"HEY," Ken yelled. "Watch the paint job kid! I just got this both truck and Fennekin today!"

"You just got that fire type today?" William asked. "Is this your first battle ever?"

"Yes," Ken replied. "I had to become a trainer for my new job."

"Well let me show you how this is done then," William said, his confidence rising. "Bellsprout vine whip it again."

"Bellsprout," the grass type replied.

"Fennekin, ember to counter," Ken said.

Fennekin took two hits from Bellsprout's vines but cut loose his sparking attack on them as they connected. The flower Pokémon winced and William took note. Fennekin looked back at Ken with a smile on his maw. Ken got the message and stared over at William.

"You're messing with the wrong over the road warriors," Ken said. "If you want to forfeit now we'll take it."

"No way rookie," William said defiantly.

"Okay, I hope they taught you in school about how if you play with fire you get burned," Ken said. "Fennekin, ember attack!"

"Fen," the Pokemon replied as he opened his mouth and let loose another round of orange sparks.

"Bellsprout wrap him up," William said. "This isn't over yet."

The little flower Pokemon took some serious damage from the sparks but still had some fight left in it as it deployed its vines. Ken and Fennekin knew they were pulling ahead and both were ready to end this with a coup de grâce.

"Fennekin, ember again," Ken said. "Turn up the heat!"

Before the grass type's vines could wrap around its target Fennekin let loose and an even larger shower of sparks. There was no escape as Bellsprout took a direct hit, its vines falling to the ground as the super effective attack finished it off. Bellsprout became dazed then passed out on the dock, its eyes taking on a spiraled look as it fainted.

"Bellsprout is unable to battle," said one of the longshoremen. "Turn out the lights, the party's over."

Fennekin's face lit up proudly as the man said it. He hoped Bellsprout would be okay but right now he could finally celebrate as his losing streak evaporated. Ken couldn't help but smile too, his first time battling a Pokémon and he got a win if albeit a very lucky one. It was nice to see Fennekin getting so happy. The little fox ran over to its trainer and jumped into his arms in celebration.

"Fennekin fen fen Fennekin," the little fox said joyfully.

"You did great out there Fennekin," Ken said. "You're on a hot streak now."

"Bellsprout return," William said using its Poké Ball to retrieve his injured Pokémon. "I'll get you to a Pokémon Center pronto."

William turned to Ken.

"Well, you win this one," William said, accepting defeat.

Ken put on a friendly face. He didn't want to send the kid away angry despite what he had done, after all he was just going too far with a rumor. Fennekin smiled too, he didn't want to see the kid going off hurt either.

"You're a talented trainer kid but please remember to look before your leap," Ken said. "There's a lot to be learned from a loss. I wish you the best on your Pokémon journey."

"Thanks," William replied. "I think I'll have to get a bit more thoughtful on the draw for one-on-one fights after this. My Krabby would have smoked that little guy if I'd have thought out my selection more."

Ken reached into his starter kit and pulled out an item, looking for something he could give the youngster. It was labelled as a lava cookie.

"Hey William," Ken said. "Got any use for a lava cookie?"

"Sure," William replied. "You won though, why are you giving this to me."

"Eh, that was pretty fun so I figure I should send you away with a consolation prize for giving me a shot at my first battle," Ken said as he handed William the lava cookie. "Have a fun one but please don't go looking for legendries under my truck again."

"I won't sir," William said. "Stay safe and good luck on the road."

"Fennekin," Fennekin said.

"I think that's his way of saying thank you," Ken said. "Here's hoping you get Bellsprout healed up and have a good day."

"I will," William said as he walked off. "Catch ya later."

* * *

The crowd of longshoreman departed as William walked off with the battle now over. Many of the workers and even the passengers on the _Anne_ were likely headed for lunch. Ken put Fennekin down as the two were now almost alone on the dock.

"Well that was unexpected," Ken said. "You're quite the battler buddy. Hopefully you'll hold your own if we end up against any real dangerous threats."

"Fen fen," Fennekin replied happily.

The little fox wagged its tail lightly as it looked at its trainer. Fennekin was ecstatic at finally getting another win under his proverbial belt. This trucker thing might just work out well for him.

Ken turned his attention to the dent on the front of his truck and began looking it over, it probably wasn't anything serious from what he could tell. Fennekin was still smiling about the battle when suddenly something caught his attention from underneath the truck, something very pink.

"Fen fen," Fennekin barked.

"Huh, what is it little guy?" Ken asked.

Fennekin kept barking as he ran around to the side of the truck. Ken followed but he didn't see anything.

"What's going on?" Ken asked. "Something spook ya?"

"Kin," Fennekin replied, pointing under the truck. "Fennekin fen ne."

"Is something actually down there?" Ken asked. "I highly doubt it but I'll check for you. It's the least I can do after you protected our truck there."

Ken started to bend over to look under his truck only to find a pair of blue eyes and a pink face looking back at him from underneath the chassis. Ken's jaw about hit the pavement as Mew floated out from under his truck. It gave a simple yawn, having apparently indeed apparently been napping under his truck the whole time. Both Ken and Fennekin were too awe struck to say or do anything but look on.

"Mew," Mew said with a laugh.

The trucker and his fox could not believe what they were seeing as the little pink visitor gave them a friendly wave and then took off into the sky, slowly rising above the city before darting off at great speed into the distance, leaving little but a twinkle in the sky. Ken tried to put together a complete sentence and failed.

"Wait, so he really was…with our truck…but why would…"

Finally Ken quit trying to make sense of it.

"Oh forget it," Ken said. "Something tells me this is going to be a very odd trip."

"Fen Fennekin," Fennekin replied.

"Come on Fennekin," Ken said. "Vermilion City is getting a little weird for my tastes. Let's get those Poké Balls and get back on the road."

"Fen," said Fennekin.

Ken opened the door and Fennekin hopped in the cab. He climbed in after his Pokémon and started the truck up. Popping it in gear they slowly drove off toward the GS dock and their next load.

* * *

AUTHOR NOTE

The bit with Mew and the truck being parked on the Vermilion City dock near the _Anne_ are of course references to the long held rumor from the original Pokémon Red and Blue games that the player character could move a truck they found there and find a Mew under it they could battle under it. It wasn't true in the games but here I figured it would be a fun twist to play around with that idea a bit for a laugh. For Ken and Fennekin though their encounter with Mew also marks the point in this fic where things are going to get a bit more difficult for them. Keep reading, there's a good deal of fun ahead.


	6. Setting Off Again

GS Transport Truck #2,013 roared back to life as driver Ken turned the key and fired it up. He and Fennekin's first Pokémon battle had been unexpected one but with an unlikely victory thanks to an error by the other trainer the pair couldn't help but have a little confidence boost as they prepared to move their second load, a shipping container packed to the brim with Poké Balls on their delivery run from the factory in Kalos to a store in Pewter City. Said container was aboard the ship GS _Alto Mare_ and would soon be unloaded.

The sun was now shining brightly above Kanto. As Ken got back into his truck he reached into his suitcase of personal belongings and pulled out his favorite trucker hat and a pair of sunglasses. The dark blue baseball cap with a mesh back half was decorated with a graphic on the front featuring a large logo that read "Pure MC Power!" The hat was a giveaway he got at a truck show last year when visiting the MerrillChu engines booth, it featured the company's logo with a Merrill water gunning to form the "M" and a Pikachu thundershocking to make the "C" as a play on the company's hydrogen-fueled electric engines. He put both on as slide back into the driver's seat. Fennekin had maneuvered back onto the passenger seat he was fast making his own, the little fox now with a confident grin across its muzzle.

"You look ready for anything bud," Ken said while fastening his seat belt.

"Fen fen Fennekin," Fennekin replied with a smile.

The little fox was thrilled to have won his first battle with Ken as his trainer. He was now surging with enough confidence right now he was almost hoping a legendary or a mythic Pokémon would try and mess with Ken's, no, _their_ truck. He wanted to defend it proudly.

Ken reached up for the radio as he put the truck in gear.

"GS Vermilion this is Vulpix 3 and I'm in route at the docks to get a container from the _Alto Mare_ ," Ken said. "Where do ya need me?"

"Copy Vulpix 3, get back on the road and exit into our gate," came the dispatcher. "Get in the corral and await your loading instructions."

"10-4," Ken said.

* * *

Ken and Fennekin's Truck #2,013 was a cabover model known as a 550 Dittocruiser, a type of truck that was one of the real workhorses of the world's trucking fleet. Devon Motors Industrial produced the trucks with the Dittocruiser branding coming from its proclaimed ability to be "the truck that can transform to meet any task" and "the truck that will transform your business." Devin designed the 550 and partnered with MerrillChu Fuel Cell Inc. to equip it with an ultra-efficient hydrogen full-cell system; its motor was strong enough to move any load yet because it runs on electric motors powered by an easily refillable compressed hydrogen fuel instead of diesel or gasoline the only emission it makes is pure water. Truck #2,013 may have a blue paint job but this system made it one of the greenest trucks on the road.

The 550 was the first production fuel cell commercial truck with the mechanical masters at MerrillChu's "Stunky Works" development department making sure the system got much better mileage than its fossil fuel counterparts. The Devin team meanwhile designed a truck with modular adaptability allowing the truck to switch assignments as needed. From the factory they came with a standard flatbed with built-in twistlocks that could be deployed as needed to haul container or tank loads of all kinds or install specialized equipment such as a cement mixer or dump bed. When the 550 hit the market the Devon Corporation was so impressed with its creation they announced it to world with a commercial that aired globally during the finals of the Pokémon League's Indigo Plateau Conference.

Truck companies around the world bought thousands of 550 trucks as the model rendered the old diesels obsolete the minute it reached dealer showrooms. But that was then and this is now. Devon stopped production of the 550 five years ago after MerrillChu cooked up an even more efficient fuel cell system that allowed them both to upgrade to a larger model that could haul more cargo with the same amount of fuel. The new truck was dubbed the 750 Eeveeliner and again announced with a Pokémon League commercial that proclaimed "it was time for the trucking industry to evolve." The 750 was more truck in every way compared to the 550 and most companies were now in the process of phasing out the old rigs, purchasing new Eeveeliners to replace them almost as fast as Devon could built them.

Ken was well aware his 550 was one of the trucks on the way out but he hoped to get some good use out of it before it retired. Deep down he wanted a shot in a 750 but he knew top companies like GS typically don't issue brand-new trucks to rookie drivers so he was more than willing to take what he, and now Fennekin too, could get as he started.

Ken had waited for the right opportunity just for his shot with GS. Right after he got his Commercial Driver's License a company known as NQA Trucking had offered him a chance to drive a 750 for them but the "Too Good" nature of that offer led him to turn it down. It was a good move in retrospect, talking with other drivers over the years he found NQA had a reputation as "No Questions Asked" and the company was rather shady although no one had pegged anything big on it yet. The trucking industry in general had a shadier element and Ken tried to avoid it, someone has to move cargo for Team Rocket and other nasty groups and while he heard they paid incredibly well he didn't think the quick cash was worth it. The penalties for drivers who got nailed engaging in Pokémon trafficking, or worst, were stiff and often involved serious jail time.

* * *

Ken made the turn into the GS dock area and pulled into a staging area along with a building row of other GS trucks. With the passenger window rolled down Fennekin had his head out the window again taking in the scene.

The process of unloading container ships and getting that cargo on trucks and trains is usually a complicated one involving a lot of paper work and the containers being moved off the ship into a container yard to await pickup from the various drivers and crews involved. Most of the _Alto Mare_ 's containers would do this too, specialized trucks that never left the Vermilion port and pulled heavy duty trailers that had been given the colorful nickname bomb chassis would receive most of the ship's containers and move them to the yard to await their disposition.

GS however offered the companies that shipped with it a second more express route it dubbed "T2T," direct truck to sea to truck shipping. The company took advantage of having its own trucks, containers and ships to offer a direct load and unload option where trucks pulled straight onto their docks, the container went right on the ship to sail the sea and then it went right back on a truck that departed immediately once it arrived at its destination port. These containers for this were loaded right at the back of the ship away from the others. Ken and Fennekin's Poké Balls would be one of these T2T loads. Now parked with the other trucks Ken used the pause to look over his manifest and prepare the paperwork for leaving the dock.

"Vulpix 3, you got your ears on, come back," buzzed the radio.

"This is Vulpix 3, I got ya," Ken said. "What's up?"

"This is Loading Master Werner and I'm overseeing the unloading of the _Alto Mare_. I see you're new and I want to brief you on getting a container. Have you done it before?"

"No sir," Ken replied.

"When the unloading begins I'm going to call trucks by the driver's handle when their container comes off the boat," Loading Master Werner said. "The back two cranes of the five assigned to the _Alto Mare_ will be the T2T ones. If you get called first go to the front crane and go to the back one if called second. When the container is on a longshoreman will give two knocks on your cab door. When you hear that lock the container in place and go. Be ready, any delay and the system backlogs. Copy?"

"10-4," Ken said.

Ken and Fennekin looked over the dashboard of their truck. It was a sea of gauges to monitor almost every aspect of the truck's operation mixed with switches to operate all the controls. Ken reached over and flipped a switch. A hydraulic system could be heard buzzing to life.

"Dittocruiser use transform," Ken said jokingly.

"Fennekin?"

"That sound is our twistlocks coming up to hold the container," Ken told his Pokémon.

Behind them four small doors opened in the floor of the flatbed, one on each corner, before the twistlocks rose up and snapped in position. The locks were open now to allow the container to be placed atop the truck once. With a flip of a switch they would swing closed to hold the container in place once it was on the truck.

* * *

The _Alto Mare_ was now secured to the dock. The gang plank dropped and Captain Capello walked down it carrying the two armored cases accompanied by two of the stronger members of her crew. She made her way toward the office while the process of unloading her ship began. Loading Master Werner stood on the dock, a radio attached to his uniform, as a longshoreman walked up.

"We're ready," the longshoreman said.

"Alright, let's do this," Loading Master Werner said as he reached for his radio. "All drivers stand by. Eyes in the Sky are you all set for action."

High above the dock the two crane operators were in their cabs and prepped for the task ahead. They radioed back to the loading master.

"This is the Left Eye," said the male operator of the front crane. "I'm feeling high and mighty but I'm not flighty."

"This is the Right Eye," said female operator of the rear crane. "I'm on top of the world and ready to boogie."

"Let's get it started," Loading Master Werner said, now pulling out a tablet to track the loads. "Unloading is now beginning. Rattata 4 and Pikachu 1 you're on!"

The two cranes swung in to grab the first two containers as the respective trucks drove up to the ship. In just seconds the containers were off the boat and coming down to the respective trucks. Before the loads were even on the ground the call had already gone out for the next two trucks. Time is money and the moment one truck left another had to be ready to take the next container.

"Squirtle 3 and Growlithe 5."

Ken readied himself in his driver's seat as Fennekin looked on. All they could do is wait now. With each radio call another two trucks sped to the cranes.

"Charmander 14 and Weedle 1."

"Pikachu 8 and Poliwhirl 3."

"Vulpix 3 and Emolga 1."

That was their cue. Ken threw the truck in gear and drove out onto the docks with the second driver, likely a Unova native given that handle, following behind. A longshoreman with a pair of flashlights directed him into position as he brought the truck to a stop. Ken and Fennekin had just a moment to look as the crane pulled their container off the ship and hoisted it toward their truck. The container had a blue and gold color scheme, matching the truck. The dock crew directed it down and with a loud clank the truck shuttered as its cargo was put in place. The pair heard the two knocks on their door. It was go time.

Ken flipped another switch in the cab and the twistlocks turned shut. The container was locked in place. He proceeded to drive toward the exit of the docks where a guard flagged him down as was standard procedure. Once he stopped another guard with a Poochyena on a leash quickly walked the canine around the truck as he did a security check.

"What's aboard?" the guard asked as Ken showed him the manifest.

"I've got a load of Poke Balls bound for Pewter City," Ken said.

The guard looked it over than looked at the container. His partner's Poochyena gave a bark of approval.

"Alright, this checks out,"

"You're clear to leave. Drive safe."

"Thank you," Ken said.

Truck 2,013 drove out of the gate and proceeded out of the port and back toward the highway. Ken adjust the truck's radio off the harbor frequency.

"Dispatch, this is Vulpix 3, we're westbound and down with all wheels a rollin' bound for Pewter over," Ken said.

"Roger Vulpix 3," the dispatcher said.

Ken turned to Fennekin to check on him. He had his head out the window again. He decided to let the little fox do it until they got to the highway and he had to speed up. Ken looked at the clock on his dash. It was now 1:30 p.m. They had five and a half hours to get to Pewter City.

"This is where it gets interesting," Ken said. "Route 52 here we come."

* * *

The 550 picked up speed but as it left the Vermilion City docks a second GS-liveried truck passed it going in the opposite direction. The truck was Truck #9, one of the company's newest 750 Eeveeliners. The cargo area contained a tanker as the truck pulled up to the GS offices before the driver parked and entered them.

Inside the office Captain Capello, her crew members, and the clerk were waiting for him.

"Alright, he's here," said the clerk. "Captain. This is the driver you are waiting for. Meet haul master Peter Biltmore from Saffron City, he's the one of the best we've got."

"With this load I hope he is," Captain Capello said.

"I assure you I am Captain," Peter said. "They don't give you the rank haul master unless you can handle the big and valuable. You've got to be a serious trouble shooter and I am."

"Peter here is assigned to go pick up a load of Miltank milk from a dairy in Cerulean City," the clerk said. "Once its aboard he's trucking it to some cheese makers in Pallet Town."

"Which means I've got the most discreet truck in the fleet to take this load with it to Oak's lab in Pallet alongside that innocuous cargo," Peter said. "Ready for the transfer?"

"Indeed I am," Captain Capello said as she handed both of the armored cases to Peter.

Peter put the cases down. Captain Capello pulled a key out from her pocket then handed it to Peter.

"This is the only key we have for these cases," Captain Capello said.

"Don't worry Captain," Peter said. "I've hauled riskier before and I've stocked the truck with some of my most skilled Pokémon to guard it."

Peter used the key to open the first case. The contents gave off a red glow. It contained five brand-new Capture Stylers, a Pokémon Ranger's tool of choice for temporarily taking control of any wild Pokémon. Transport of these Stylers was heavily monitored to assure they didn't end up in the wrong hands. Peter closed and locked the case. He then opened the second case and his jaw almost dropped.

"Wow," Peter said. "I never thought I'd even see one of these in person."

"It's the most we've ever had in one place at one time," Captain Capello said. "That's the reason we need stiff protection."

"I'll make sure these get where they need to," Peter said as he closed and locked the case.

"Good luck," Captain Capello said. "We have some unusual pings on our radar earlier. There's satellite tracking on the cases as a backup and we think they may have been trying to find it by using that signal."

"Do you think they are on to us?" Peter said.

"No," Captain Capello said. "But use extreme caution, it goes without saying what people will do to get these cases."

"I will," Peter replied, locking the cases. "The next time these cases get opened will be in Pallet Town."

* * *

Peter discreetly walked back out to Truck #9 with the two cases and put them aboard his rig before departing. Unfortunately he had no idea he was being watched.

"Okay, the driver is out with two black cases, I can't tell the contents," a voice said into a cell phone. "Could be your stuff, could be his clothes. Who knows. The vehicle is Truck #9 anyway."

The person on the phone started walking away from the GS dock hoping he wasn't noticed. A mark on his uniform indicated he was a driver for NQA.

"Well, it's the best lead we've got and you'll be rewarded well for it," the voice on the phone said. "Get your load and get out of there. On our end we'll set the cheese and let this little Rattata come right to the trap. We'll watch for that truck in Cerulean City. Giovanni will be most pleased if we pull this heist off."


	7. Much Ado on Route 52

After Ken and Fennekin's first stop in Vermilion City had started to get weird nothing in the world made Ken happier than getting on the road again. The deliveryman and his new Pokémon partner were back on the toll road and heading to Pewter City. The run back up to Celadon City on the toll roll would be a proverbial piece of cake but after that all bets were off as the pair was forced to take the tricky Route 52 to have any chance of making it in time for their 7 p.m. delivery deadline.

Ken was in his element behind the wheel of the truck. Fennekin sat in the passenger's seat alongside him and just stared at his new trainer working. The little fox watched as Ken shifted the truck into the proper gear, checked his mirrors, then pushed the accelerator down as their truck picked up speed to pass a slow-moving car. He thought it looked kind of fun and part of him almost wanted to give it a try, he knew he never would but it was a neat thought for a moment.

It was now 2:15 p.m. as Ken eased his truck off the expressway into a roadside travel plaza for a quick stop, amid all the action in Vermilion City neither he nor his Pokémon partner had stopped for lunch. He also wanted to do a quick check on his truck's load of Poké Balls just to make sure everything was alright after the container had come off the ship from Kalos.

* * *

As far as cargoes went Poké Balls were a simple one. The demand for them was high and almost every driver carried a load of them at some point, Ken even hauled them a few times when he drove the little RatEx van. Poké Balls were designed for ultimate durability and drivers liked carrying them because they required little care. There was no need to refrigerate them, they weren't explosive, they were virtually watertight, and their inherent strength meant that unless you openly tried to hurt them they almost impossible to damage. The only risk to hauling the balls was on the driver not to crash the truck and spill them.

Pewter City and Viridian City were home to two of the busiest Poké Marts with the highest Poké Ball sale figures in Kanto. Their proximity to Pallet Town, where many of the region's Pokémon trainers started their journeys, and the Viridian Forest, where many of these newly-forged trainers first stocked up their teams with Pokémon from its abundant populations, meant that balls of almost every type flew off the shelves. Further their location close to Indigo Plateau and the land crossing to Johto meant experienced trainers crossing between regions or heading to the Pokémon League also kept even the most expensive, rare, and powerful balls flying off the shelves.

* * *

With a hiss from the brakes Truck #2,013 came to a stop in the truck parking area at the travel plaza. Ken liked this particular plaza and often stopped here when he drove the toll road. He and Fennekin both hopped out of the truck and proceeded around to the back of their big rig. Ken opened the massive back doors to the container and inspected his load. All of the Poké Balls aboard were still packed tight in their shipping crates with the crates piled right to the ceiling of the container. Each crate had a symbol for the ball contained on its end.

"Fennekin kin fen Fennekin," Fennekin said in awe.

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen this many at once either," Ken replied.

The pair could only see the crates at the very back of the truck. Ken recognized the standard Poké Ball, Great Ball, and Ultra Ball crates plus ones for the Premier Ball and Quick Ball, Sandra having familiarized him with the latter two over the years. However the one with a pink color and white swirls puzzled him.

"What do the pink and white ones do?" Ken asked Fennekin.

"Kin nen Fennekin fen," Fennekin replied with a quadrupedal shrug.

With the cargo safe Ken closed and locked the container up before heading into the travel plaza. The interior of the plaza included a rest room area, a gift shop selling various Kanto souvenirs, and a couple of fast food restaurants. Ken quickly purchased a grilled sandwich from one of the eateries and proceeded back out to the truck with Fennekin in pursuit. Once back to the truck Ken pulled out one of the food dishes he bought in Vermilion City and the bag of kibble which he then filled for Fennekin. The pair sat down at a table near the front of the plaza giving them a view of the highway and the traffic passing by as they eat quickly. Ken finished the sandwich quickly and cracked open a can of lemonade as his vulpine partner dug into his dish.

"Okay, so the way I see it we've probably got a three-hour drive if conditions are perfect," Ken said. "It's about 2:40 now so that will put us into Pewter at about 5:40 p.m. We should miss rush hour if that city is big enough to have one."

Fennekin looked up from his dish for an instant. Then dug right back in and finished it off.

"You ready to roll?" Ken asked.

"Fen," Fenneken responded.

"Well then let's do this," Ken said.

He picked up Fennekin's empty dish, wiped it out with a napkin, and then climbed back in Truck #2,013. His yellow partner was already in the passenger's seat by the time as he stowed the dish. Ken was actually quite impressed the truck's small living quarters contained an area sized just for storing Pokémon food and dishes. He only wondered if that was a standard feature or an option Mack had fitted. Given how many truckers apparently are trainers it made since the company would offer that. He quickly took a look at the starter kit and its other contents. It included a basic collection of potions and a revive. Sandra had told him about most of this stuff over the years and he was surprised at how quick it was coming back to him. He climbed back in the driver's seat, buckled up, and off they went. It was Pewter City or bust now.

* * *

There was something inherently weird for Ken passing straight by Celadon City and not turning for home. And yet there was some adventure to be had as he maneuvered the truck off the toll road and toward the turn to get on Route 52. The moment of truth arrived as the end of the pavement approached.

"You know I've never driven a truck off-road before," Ken said. "Of course I've never had a Pokémon before either so today is just full of firsts."

"Fen fen," Fennekin replied.

Ken shifted gears as their truck entered onto Route 52. A large dust cloud immediately began rising from the truck's wheels as the vehicle left the asphalt of Celadon City behind and started down the dirt road. Ken would have to drive at a moderate speed, because trainers walked on them regular routes had lower speed limits than the paved Intercity Routes most vehicles used. The limits were enforced with strict penalties to deter potential speed freaks. These rules were however mostly a formality on the virtually trainer-free routes like this one. The road was short enough if this worked he'd likely get to Pewter City faster than if he took I-Route 52 as he had initially planned before its Snorlax-related closure. Ken reached for his radio.

"This is Vulpix 3 to dispatch," Ken said. "I'm westbound and down on Route 52."

"Copy Vulpix 3," the dispatcher responded. "Be cautious of the dead zones and safe travels."

Fennekin noticeably perked up at the mention of the "dead zones." The little fire type had a worried look on its face.

"Oh, don't worry pal it's not a literal death place," Ken said. "It's just an where radio and phone signals can get spotty."

Ken may have said that sentence calmly but the look on his face was starting to show a little worry as he started to really think about what he just said. If something happened out here they were likely on their own. He looked over to Fennekin and thought back to Mack's mandate for all drivers to carry Pokémon. In places like this it did make sense.

* * *

As their truck continued down the road Ken was almost ready to loosen up a bit. Route 52 was proving rather smooth for a gravel road and they were indeed making good time. He smiled for a moment only for the truck to hit a small pothole and wipe the happy look off his face. The whole rig rocked for a moment. Fennekin caught a little air from the bump before he landed gripping the passenger seat in a panicked fashion with all four paws. Things began to return to normal.

"Well, that was wild," Ken said. "That'll keep you awake better than a strong coffee."

"Fen," Fennekin replied timidly.

Suddenly the truck began to shake again. The road conditions outside were getting rough and they were banging the truck around as it traversed them. Ken gripped the wheel and slowed down trying to balance for it. He could see why this road was so little used by truckers. With a load of sturdy Poké Balls they'd be fine but with a load of anything fragile they'd likely be paying for damages right about now. After a tense 20 minutes of rough driving the road finally started smoothing out again. However just at the moment Ken and Fennekin thought they would be in the clear disaster finally struck.

It was the loudest hit yet as the entire truck jerked to the right after hitting a bump. The truck's operation didn't go right back to normal as it had before. The truck was now pulling to the left and an ominous banging rubber sound was coming from the front of the truck. Fennekin looked over to his trainer and the worried look on Ken's face spelled out the situation all too well. They'd likely blown a tire. Ken had no choice but to stop and inspect the truck. He flipped the truck's four-way flashers on and pulled off to the side of the road. There were in a heavily wooded area between some mountains. Conditions were getting cloudy, it looked like rain was moving in.

"Stay here Fennekin," Ken said as he climbed out.

It only took one glance toward the front of the truck to find out the issue. The truck's left-front tire had been knocked clean off the rim. Ken looked it over and noted that it was only the rubber tire that had an issue, the rim itself was fine. The tire also didn't appear to have any punctures, it could likely be remounted. Commercial trucks typically don't carry their own spare tires and this truck was no exception. Ken would have to call for assistance and have someone else come out and change it. They were not going to make it to Pewter City in time.

Ken climbed back into the cab. Fennekin looked up at him.

"Fen?" the little fox asked.

"No, it's bad," Ken said. "We're going to need some help on this one."

He reached for the radio.

"Dispatch this is Vulpix 3, I've got a flat tire," Ken said. "Can we get roadside assistance out here. We're about halfway between Celadon and Pewter on Route 52."

The radio was silent. Ken awaited for a response but didn't get one. He tried again.

"Dispatch this is Vulpix 3, got your ears on," Ken said. "I've got a stuck truck."

Again there was no answer. Ken flipped the radio to a different channel.

"This is Vulpix 3 of GS Transport with a request for assistance," Ken said. "My truck is disabled on Route 52."

Again, there was no answer. Ken looked out at the mountains and the forests, almost assuredly knowing they and the darkening weather were interfering with the truck's radio. He pulled out his cell phone and the message on the screen reading "no signal" confirmed it. They were in a dead zone. Help wasn't going to come easily...if at all.

"Come with me," Ken told Fennekin as they both got out of the truck.

* * *

There were no easy solutions to this issue. Without a way to call for help Ken and Fennekin were likely in for a long walk to a town. A million questions began racing through Ken's head. They were about halfway down the route; would it be quicker to walk back toward Celadon City or walk ahead to Pewter City? Was there any sort of an outpost along the road they could stop at instead? They certainly didn't have enough daylight left to get to a town, would it be better to shelter in place inside the truck and hope someone came by who could help? Would GS send someone out to look when he ended up overdue to Pewter City? Was there any way to remount that tire and just drive out? Ken thought the last one was the best question and frantically flipped open an exterior compartment on the side of the cab marked "tools" to see if it contained anything helpful.

Fennekin stood behind Ken and looked around, scanning every inch of the forest in his line of sight. This was why he was here, protect Ken and protect the truck. He was ready if the need arose. A bush rustled and the little fox Pokémon zeroed in on it. A little Rattata ran out harmless and dashed into the distance. Fennekin couldn't help but be a little disappointed it wasn't something that looking to cause an issue.

Ken's search of the tool area netted some results, mainly a small air compressor and a very heavy-duty air jack. It was enough to get the front of the truck just slightly off the ground. Ken then noticed something non-standard in the compartment, a cooking grill and some flammable spray to start it. He grabbed the spray and glanced toward Fennekin. He remembered something he saw on a TV show once and thought about how it was likely their only chance to get the truck going without help.

Ken turned on the compressor and set up the jack at the front of the truck to lift it slightly. As the truck rose he worked to position the tire back on the rim than called Fennekin over.

"Alright, that tire is back on there as best as I can get it," Ken said. "This is where it gets dangerous. I'm going to spray this igniter stuff into the interior of the tire. Once I do I want you to do a low power ember attack on the tire. You're flame with ignite this stuff and the air inside the tire. The small explosion and resulting expansion should remount the tire. It won't be perfect but it will likely get us to Pewter City…if it works."

Ken unhooked the air compressor from the jack and prepared to use it to re-inflate the tire once it was back on the rim. Fennekin looked on nervously as Ken began spraying the liquid.

"You know if we screw this up we'll might blow the wheel off the truck," Ken said. "Oh well, at this point we're desperate."

Ken finished up.

"Moment of truth time," Ken said. "Fennekin, ember."

The little fox wound up and released his shower of orange sparks toward the tire as both he and Ken stood well back. One of the sparks connected with the gas and lit it off. The air inside the tire exploded as planned and pushed the rubber outward and back onto the rim with a hiss sound. It worked.

"YES!" Ken said, grabbing Fennekin and hugging the little starter in celebration.

Ken ran up to the tire, blew out some residual flames from the ember, and hooked up the compressor to pump air back into the repaired tire. Once finished he put the equipment away and prepared to depart. Ken pulled out two of the twigs from earlier and placed them on Fennekin's chair. The little fox happily hopped up to eat them.

"If we make this delivery on time I am going to get you a freaking steak tonight," Ken said as he started the truck and put it in gear. "Would you like that?"

"Kin," Fennekin replied.

"No?" Ken said shocked. "Then what do you want?"

"Fen," Fennekin said, extending his claw like he would for a scratch attack.

"A battle?" Ken said.

"Fen," Fennekin said.

"Alright, we'll get you a battle with someone or some Pokémon," Ken said, sensing this Pokémon had a bit of a fighting streak in him.

"Fen fen," said Fennekin excitedly.

Truck #2,013 was back on the road and its arrival in Pewter City couldn't come soon enough. But there was still a nice sized stretch of Route 52 they would have to traverse to get there.


	8. Country-Flavor Sabotage

As Ken and Fennekin continued down Route 52 toward Pewter City another GS Transport truck was having a better go of it on elsewhere in Kanto. Truck #9 was headed northbound toward Cerulean City on I-Route 5 with driver Peter Biltmore at the wheel. The two secret cases heading for Pallet Town he picked up earlier sat alongside Peter's seat. The 750 Eeveeliner's hood ornament, a miniature metal Eevee posed like it was executing a quick attack, glistened in the sun.

Peter typically did not drive with any of his Pokémon out of their balls but today he was making an exception, deploying his Watchog to ride in the passenger seat on lookout duty for trouble. With a cargo this important he was taking no chances. A high definition dash cam had also been installed in the cab to record this trip. He reached for the radio as the truck reached its secondary destination, a dairy farm surrounded by fields filled with Miltanks.

"This is Squirtle 1 to dispatch, I'm down on the farm," Peter said. "I should be back on the road in about an hour to 90 minutes. I'll check in again on departure. Over."

"Roger, Squirtle 1," the dispatcher replied. "I've got Growlithe 2, Pidgey 4, and Abra 1 northbound out of Vermilion on a similar route. If there's any issue let me know and we'll reroute another truck."

"10-4," Peter replied as he turned his truck onto the farm's property.

* * *

Peter Biltmore was perhaps one of GS's best drivers and more undisputedly the best Pokémon trainer the company had. While Mack required every driver keep Pokémon for safety Peter was one of the many drivers who fell into the category of having already been an ace trainer before he started driving for the company. "Built Tough Biltmore," as he was nicknamed, was a borderline legend among Kanto truckers because of it and he had the hardware to prove it, being the only driver in the region with a Pokémon League conference win under his belt. It was years ago, but it was an achievement one never forgets.

Peter was a native of Saffron City and started training Pokemon at age 10 when he travelled to Pallet Town and received his starter, a Squirtle, from Professor Oak. In his early days he lived the dream of every trainer as he travelled through Kanto collecting gym badges before taking a shot at the Pokémon League at Indigo Plateau. His first attempt saw him fail to get out of the qualifying rounds but he didn't quit.

After the tournament young Peter and his Blastoise headed for Unova trying to find some aces in the hole and they did, capturing an Oshawott amongst others and leveling up his Pokemon by battling and challenging its gym leaders. Packing a powerful team now headed up by Blastoise and a fully-evolved Samurott he made it to the Round of 16 at the Unova League before returning to Kanto for another run at the Indigo Plateau Conference.

At the time Kanto trainers typically focused exclusively on Kanto Pokémon out of regional pride. His team featuring a powerful mixed region lineup bucked the trend and trainers who had never heard of a Samurott or a Zebstrika had a hard time defending against them. It allowed him to pull some powerful upsets as he won the league in his second attempt and picked up the nickname "Built Tough Biltmore" in the process. The victory earned him a chance to take a shot at the Elite Four but his luck ran out there. While he bested the first two members Agatha and her ghosts shut him down and he never got a shot at Lance or the reigning champion.

While Peter continued to focus on training hard, he was never able to replicate that early success. He landed endorsements and used the money to travel but while he turned in some impressive runs, finishing runner-up in Sinnoh and making it to the semifinals in Johto and Kalos, a second league victory always eluded him. In Kanto "Built Tough Biltmore" slowly became "Gets Beat Biltmore" after he got upset in early rounds three years in a row and his endorsement deals dried up.

While he recovered to place in the quarterfinals of a later tournament it was apparent that if he wanted to keep travelling and training he needed a more steady income. He went back and finished school but he didn't have to wait long after graduation for a new opportunity to arise when Mack called him up. He jumped at being able to keep traveling and he hit the road in his early 20s once he was properly trained to handle a truck. He proved apt behind the wheel and his "Built Tough" image started to return after he successfully foiled an attempt by Team Magma to hijack his truck while he was hauling a load of Max Elixir in Hoenn.

Peter became one of GS's top haul masters and now frequently got the call when the company needed to move valuable loads. For the past four months he'd been driving in Kalos and his reputation preceded him enough Team Flare never made any attempt on his truck. His skill in both trucking and training made Peter a very confident driver, but his lack of any serious challenge of late was starting to make him complacent.

* * *

This Cerulean City dairy farm was a newer one in the but with demand on the rise for Miltank dairy products of all types several had started to pop up in Kanto in recent years. This was Peter's first time carrying a cargo from this farm. The tanker his truck carried was refrigerated and Miltank milk was more stable than that of some other species, it would easily hold for the haul over Mt. Moon to Pallet Town where it would be made into cheese tomorrow once he dropped it off. With a hiss from the brakes Peter pulled in then backed his truck into the loading area.

"Watchog, guard those cases," Peter said. "If anyone so much as looks at them you let me know."

"Watchog," it replied.

Two farmhands, one male and one female, greeted Peter as they prepared to load the truck. Both wore typical farm clothing although it didn't have much dust on it. A Purrloin accompanied them.

"Howdy partner, my name is Robert and this is my partner Ellee," said the male. "Welcome to the Refresh Family Dairy Farm."

"Good to be here," Peter said. "Are you the titular Mr. Refresh?"

"I'm afraid not, he's going into town to get some supplies," Robert replied. "We'll hook you up and get you back on the road might quick though. We're glad to have you drop by, this here is some high-quality milk and it's always good to see it hit the road. You ever had a glass of it raw?"

"I can't say I have," Peter replied.

"It's mighty fine, really goes down smooth when it's all natural like that," Robert said. "Why I tell you what, I had a great glass of it this morning…"

Ellee was already hooking up the tanker to fill it while Robert kept talking. She calmly hooked up the milk and started pumping while her motormouth partner continued to dominate the conversation. Purrloin purred and rubbed against Robert's leg, attracting Peter's attention for a moment. Ellee checked the number on the side of the truck cab, this was Truck #9 just as they were expecting. She took note of the Watchog casually sitting in the truck, it wasn't looking out at her yet and she planned to keep it that way, turning back before the Pokémon started to see her as a threat.

Ellee calmly walked back over and unhooked the loading hoses now that the tanker was full. As she did she calmly pulled out a pocket knife and put some small cuts in any exposed brake lines she find. The damage would be mild and almost unnoticeable until it was too late, the truck's air would leak out slowly and when it did the driver would have no choice but to stop. This guy wouldn't even know there was an issue until he was well on his way to Pallet Town and likely somewhere isolated where their partners could pounce. She put on a big smile as she walked over to the pair. Robert was still talking.

"…and I tell you that Ekans was as big as a freaking Graveler. I kid you not."

"Before you talk his ear off it's worth noting you're full up and ready to go buckaroo," Ellee said.

The look of relief on Peter's face at that announcement was palatable.

"It's been an honor to meet both of you," Peter said. "I hope you have a pleasant day."

"Keep on truckin' son," Robert replied.

Peter quickly climbed back into his truck and started it up. He put it in gear.

"Watchog, anyone try and get inside the cab?" Peter asked.

"Hog," it replied.

"Roger," Peter said as he reached for the radio. "Dispatch, this is Squirtle 1 and I'm back rolling. I'm going to take a rest for a few hours at a truck stop and red eye this load to Pallet afterward overnight."

"Roger, Squirtle 1," the dispatcher replied. "Safe travels."

* * *

As Peter drove off the farm's property a trio of sinister smiles crossed Robert, Ellee, and Purrloin's faces.

"That city slicker fell for it hook, line, and sinker," Robert said. "You slice the lines?"

"Oh yeah, he'll be out of air and out of brakes well before he reaches the Oak, the cheese makers, or anyone who can help," Ellee said.

The pair quickly wiped off their farm clothing to reveal a pair of black Team Rocket uniforms. Robert pulled out a cell phone from his pocket and placed a call.

"Yeah boss, it's Robert and Ellee," Robert said. "The GS driver is loaded up and rolling toward Pallet. We got the brake lines. That truck is going to be in more trouble than a Heracross in a vat of thick molasses really quickly... Uh huh... Well no, I have no idea why a Heracross would be in a vat of molasses. It was an expression... Okay, I guess it is a bad expression. Look just get the road crews ready and we'll rendezvous with the team in Pewter City."

The trio smiled as they walked behind the barn to a waiting red convertible. The top was up as they climbed out and left the farm with a peel out.

* * *

Back on Route 52 Ken, Fennekin, and Truck #2,013 were starting to make up some of the time they lost earlier to the tire issue. Fennekin looked out at the window as trees flew past while Ken had his truck running as fast as the law would allow. The rookie driver was starting to get a hang of driving on gravel and it was looking like they would make it to Pewter City in time. Those empty Poké Balls Mack gave him earlier clanked together they rested in a storage space atop the truck's center console while Fennekin's ball had been placed in a cup holder for safe keeping.

The road remained flat but the terrain around them was starting to get rougher. Ken's eyes were focused straight ahead on the road, scanning for any possible obstacle Route 52 could throw at them. As he rounded a corner one came into view about a mile ahead, a large gray object in the middle of the road. Slowly he backed off the throttle and began applying the brake. The object became clearer. Ken initially thought it might be a large boulder and was almost relaxed when he realized it was a sleeping Rhyhorn. The Spikes Pokémon was blocking the road but there were probably ways they could make it move safely. That advice Mack had given him earlier about Rhyhorns only reinforced the need to be careful about how they went about it.

"When I get back to Celadon City I'm going to the game corner or buying a ton of lottery tickets," Ken said. "With how our luck has gone today it has got to whip back around soon."

"Fen Fennekin," Fennekin replied.

The truck came to a stop.

"Well, this is going to be fun," Ken said sarcastically as he and his partner prepared to face their next challenge.


	9. A Spat with a Spearow

As his cabover truck idled on Route 52 driver Ken Worth could only look ahead at the sleeping Rhyhorn blocking its path and sigh. He'd made the gung-ho decision to take this little trafficked gravel road to get it to Pewter City on time this afternoon and had been paying for it all afternoon. Did not delivering a load late on his first day justify all this? Well obliviously the answer must be yes, he didn't spend three years driving a purple minivan just to come up short.

He looked over to his "co-driver" and only Pokémon, Fennekin. This is a Pokémon problem so it's only natural to use a Pokémon to try fix it. He then looked up at the chord on the cab's ceiling for the truck's horn, if it was loud enough to snap Saffron City commuters out of their little bubbles and remind them to stay in their lane it was likely usable here too. As the Rhyhorn snored Ken formulated a plan.

"Alright, you're on fire type," Ken told Fennekin. "I want you to get out of the truck and stay in front of it. I'm going to blow the horn a few times and see if shakes Sleeping Beauty here from its slumber. If it gets aggressive and makes a move toward the truck give it an ember and let's see if we can run it off. Sound like a good plan?"

"Kin, kin ne fen," Fennekin responded.

"Well then do you have a better one you'd like to contribute?" Ken asked.

"Kin," Fennekin said. "Kin fen ne."

"Well, let's give a shot then," Ken said. "What do we have to lose other than time…and possibly both the truck and all those Poké Balls in the back."

Fennekin seemed a little iffy and looked nervous for a moment, he seemed to love a battle but a Rhyhorn was a bit much for him to handle. Ken thought about what his sister Sandra, professional trainer in every sense of the word would do in this situation. What had he seen his sister do in a situation like this? Of course, the way to a Pokémon's heart often ran through its stomach.

"How about you pull this off and we'll get you a few more twigs once we get to Pewter City," Ken suggested.

"Fen, Fennekin fen ne," Fennekin said, steadying up like he was ready for action.

"Let's rock and roll," Ken said as he swung the driver's door of the truck open.

Fennekin yipped with joy and leaped out of the truck only to immediately land in a mud puddle with a splash after neither he nor Ken had noticed before the door was opened. Ken couldn't help but laugh as his fox pulled itself covered in mud.

Fennekin quickly got back to his feet. His fur was filthy but he just shrugged it off. Ken quickly closed the door to avoid being splashed as the fire type shook the mud off. Fennekin moved in front of the truck and struck his best battle pose. He barked to signal Ken he was ready. The Rhyhorn continued to snooze.

"Ok, let's do this," Ken said to himself. "Wakey wakey."

The truck driver pulled the chord and the truck's horn blared. The Rhyhorn started to wake up. Ken pulled the chord again to give it another blast. The Rhyhorn's red eyes were now wide open as the big Spikes Pokémon got to its feet. Fennekin stood at the ready to try and run the massive creature off if it tried to attack the truck but instead the rock type just groggily looked at him and the truck before walking off the road. It went only about 100 feet before it just rolled back on its side and went back to sleep off the road. Ken smiled while Fennekin's jaw dropped in disappointment at this challenge's anti-climax. The truck's door opened.

"Alright Fennekin, let's roll," Ken said. "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there."

Fennekin could barely hold back his disappointment. He knew he couldn't fight that Rhyhorn with any chance at success but he was hoping he could have at least gotten to scare it and look good for his trainer. Ken was smiling at this crisis being resolved easily and began checking the gauges in the truck instead of watching his Pokémon.

* * *

The fire fox dejectedly starting walking back to the truck but as he did a Spearow landed in front of the truck for a quick preen. Fennekin thought for a moment and, absent of any other challenges, deemed this bird to be a risky threat blocking their way that he needed to scare it off. He deployed his claws and launched a scratch attack at the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Everything that followed was chaos.

Ken was pleased with how Truck #2,013 was running. They had plenty of fuel, the batteries were charging as needing, tire temperatures were normal, and the brake system had plenty of air. He was smiling when he heard two loud Pokémon cries and the sound of thrashing.

"What is that?" Ken said, thinking aloud.

Ken climbed out of the cab, almost dreading what the source of that ruckus was. He walked toward the front of the truck to find Fennekin had started a battle with some bird Pokémon and he was losing it. The bird's beak glowed as it launched a peck attack. Fennekin whimpered as the avian attack connected. The fox had some visible signs of bruising indicting it wasn't the first attack he in this battle where he was on the receiving end. The speed at which this happened hinted at just how much this bird wasn't messing around. The battle damage on the avian hinted Fennekin hadn't been either.

"Fennekin, get up," Ken shouted. "Ember!"

The fox started spraying sparks which got the bird off him for a moment while Ken deployed his phone and its PokéScan.

"SCANNING: Spearow, normal and flying type. Spearows have a bad attitude and a strong beak for peck attacks."

Ken looked at Fennekin as the fox pulled himself back up. This was nothing like the battle in Vermilion City, with a wild Pokémon instead of one belonging to a trainer there was no telling how far the other creature was going to push this. Turning to the Spearow he noticed it had a glowing outline around it. He'd seen one of Sandra's Pokemon do that attack once, it was called focus energy and usually it meant the combatant was setting up for something. The bird dove, beak again aglow, as it went for another attack.

"Fennekin, ember!" Ken shouted before he hurriedly ran back to the cab to get some supplies. "Dodge the dive if you can."

Fennekin again launched his sparks but while it did some damage Spearow flew through the shower anyway to connect on its attack. The hit sent the fire type rolling backward from the impact. Fennekin hadn't taken a licking like this since his original trainer Camille sent him out against that Tyrunt at the Cyllage City Gym; his last battle with her before she largely banished him to his ball and sold him. He couldn't lose again like that. Spearow was now on the ground and slowly began walking toward Fennekin. It was setting the little fox up for a coup de grace courtesy of another peck attack.

"Fennekin, scratch!," shouted Ken, looking on from inside the cab as he grabbed a few potions and other items.

Just as Spearow pulled back for its peck Fennekin slashed it with its claws. The bird let out a large cry of anguish before cutting loose with its peck attack on the fox. This time it was too much for a wounded Fennekin to handle, the little fire type passed out unable to battle further. Still battered and bruised Spearow slowly started walking up to his unconscious foe ready to enjoy the fresh taste of victory but before it could it suddenly felt a hard item slam into the back of its neck. The bird turned around to find out what that was only to see a Poké Ball clicking open. It could do nothing more as it was turned into red energy and sucked into the ball. Ken stood over the ball with an angry look on his face.

"Rule of the road bird, watch out for tailgaters," Ken said coldly.

The ball jerked back and forth on the ground but while Spearow had won the battle the victory quickly turned Pyrrhic. There was no stopping it now. The ball gave off its signature ding as Spearow was caught.

* * *

Ken walked right past the Poké Ball to check on Fennekin, nervously noting his fox had been knocked out during the battle. Ken thought to himself how bad this situation could get, that Rhyhorn was still nearby and with Fennekin incapacitated that technically left the Spearow as the only conscious Pokémon on his side. He pulled out the revive from the starter kit and a bottle of super potion. He used the former to wake his partner back up before giving him a heavy spray of the latter. The fox winched from the potion's initial sting but started perking back up to close to his normal self. Ken used the whole bottle.

"Oh thank goodness," Ken said. "You've got to be more careful buddy. I almost lost you there. We're just getting started, it would be a shame to break up the band this quick. Any idea what happened to provoke that Spearow into a battle?"

Fennekin had a sad, guilty look on his muzzle. He knew what he had done. Ken picked up on it immediately.

"Did…did you pick that fight yourself?" he asked.

"Fen," the little fox replied.

"What were you thinking?" Ken asked. "You don't go around picking fights with random wild Pokémon without both of us in it together. I'm new to the trainer thing but even I know that's a real good way to get your tail kicked in, as you just have here. Thank goodness we had the revive or…"

Ken noticed the sad look on Fennekin's face. He thought back to how stoked his Pokémon had been for the Vermilion City battle and how Mack mentioned it had a prior trainer who ditched it after some losses.

"You don't have to impress me by constantly getting into or winning fights Fennekin," Ken said. "We have to be a team. You'll be there to protect our loads and I'll be there to guide you when the need to throw down arises. We've got to be in this together if we're going to get through it. We're partners now and that isn't going to change if I have any say in it."

"Fen," said the little fox.

Ken gave Fennekin a much-needed hug before turning his attention to the ball.

"And now there's the matter of smoothing things over with our new teammate," Ken said.

He walked over and picked up Spearow's Poké Ball before silently calling out the bird. Spearow let out a large caw before Ken pulled out another bottle of super potion.

"Hold on," Ken said. "This may sting but it will heal most of your wounds."

Spearow looked up at Ken as he sprayed him, indeed its wounds did start to heal. Ken smiled but the bird still didn't exactly look comfortable yet. Ken held out its Poké Ball.

"Spearow?" it said in a questioning tone.

"I'm sorry about what happened with my Fennekin," Ken said. "It never should have attacked you...and I should have been watching it closer to prevent things like that from happening. If you want out for good, I'll be glad to release you. But if you want to come along with us I can promise you I'll get you healed fully at a Pokémon Center and a big dinner to eat once we reach Pewter City tonight. My name's Ken, I drive this truck, and I'm new to this whole Pokémon trainer thing. We'll get there though. I could use a team to help keep this truck safe and if you're game I'd like you to be a part of it."

Spearow looked back toward the sky then toward the truck. The offer did sound tempting.

"No one will be trying to eat you if that's a perk," Ken said.

Spearow smiled as best as the beaky bird could.

"Spearow," it said happily, pointing a wing toward its ball. "Spear spear Spearow."

Ken picked up on what the bird was trying to say. It was game and it wanted back in its ball.

"Welcome aboard compadre," Ken said. "Spearow return."

The bird was pulled back into its Poké Ball. Quietly Ken and Fennekin loaded up and departed from the scene, hoping that the dramas of Route 52 would finally be behind them. Ken placed Spearow's ball in the cup holder right above Fennekin's. If their new travelling companion wanted to spend more time inside it Ken was fully ready to let it, no doubt the bird had been through a lot today.

Ken had learned a lot on this run. Being resourceful is a great thing but if one is to be a good trainer they have to keep an eye on their Pokémon. If he'd have been watching Fennekin closer, and Fennekin hadn't been pushing itself too hard to impress him, they could have avoided this drama. Both of them would have take the lessons they learned here to heart if they were to succeed on the road together.

It was with much relief that about an hour later that Truck #2,013 finally reached the end of Route 52 and turned back onto a paved road. It was now 6 p.m. and with Pewter City coming into view it looked like despite all the chaos Ken and Fennekin would make their delivery on time. A smile started to cross Ken's face as he started to accelerate his truck down Slate Street toward Pewter City's downtown area. While there were some storm clouds gathering above the city soon they would be out of the proverbial woods.


	10. Done for the Day

There was a building sense of relief on Ken and Fennekin's faces as their truck finally made it onto the homestretch into Pewter City, finally turning off Route 52 for the run straight down Intercity Route 2 right into town. After this "Delivery straight from the Distortion Realm" Ken just wanted to get to the Poké Mart and unload his cargo. He, Fennekin, and Truck #2,013 had all taken their licks on this run.

Ken had a lot on his mind. He glanced down at the cup holder on the passenger's side where a pair of Poké Balls now sat, thinking about that vicious Spearow that whooped Fennekin. Yet now he'd caught it and had to train it. This isn't how he thought his first day on the open road would have gone. After his cake walk delivery to Vermilion City earlier in the day this had been a real wake up call. Ken flipped his radio back on.

"Vulpix 3 to dispatch, got your ears on?" Ken asked.

The radio buzzed with a reply.

"This is dispatch, how can I help you Vulpix 3?"

"Just checking in, I'm a little later than I'd like but we're going to get that load of Poké Balls into Pewter on time," Ken said. "Do they know we're coming in."

"Affirmative Vulpix 3," the dispatcher replied.

"Thank you, over," Ken said.

* * *

By the time it entered Pewter City Truck #2,013's blue-and-gold paint job had gained a significantly browner look from all the dust Ken had driven it through that afternoon. The truck rolled past the stylish glass entrance to the city's Pokémon Center before pulling up to the Poké Mart. Ken turned down an alley and drove in behind the store, as a RatEx driver Ken had made many deliveries to various Celadon City area Poké Marts and they always took deliveries in the back. He shifted his truck into reverse and his truck's backup alarm began to sound, its signature "beep beep beep" reverberating off the alley's walls. Ken put his head out the window to make sure he was on track before parking right against the store's rear loading ramp.

"And done," Ken said with a relief as he shifted into park.

"Fen fen," Fennekin added, just as happy as his trainer to put this run behind them.

Ken looked down at the dashboard clock before turning his truck off. It read 6:45 p.m. They'd made the deadline despite everything else. A sly smile made its way across Ken's face.

"You wait here, I'll handle the drop off," Ken said. "Guard the truck."

"Fen," Fennekin replied.

Ken climbed out of his rig and walked up to the store, ringing the buzzer at the back. A male employee quickly answered it. He looked up at the big rig.

"I assume these are our new balls to restock our shelves," the employee said.

"Straight off the boat from Kalos to your door," Ken said. "Thank you for shipping with GS, we always do our very best."

Ken opened up the back doors of the container and prepared to start unloading the crates. The employee was looking on.

"This has been bugging me all day," Ken noted. "What do the pink-and-white ones do?"

"That's the Heal Ball," the employee replied. "They introduced them in Sinnoh a few years ago. They fully heal a Pokémon once you catch it. I snagged a Shinx in the forest with one the other day. They work great. Shinx certainly liked her ball."

The balls were soon offloaded and the delivery finalized.

"Would it be alright if I leave my truck here for a moment?" Ken asked the employee. "I've got to hit the Pokémon Center."

"Yeah, that's fine," the employee said. "We're open until 10 p.m. and we're not scheduled to get any more deliveries this evening. Please move it afterward though, we don't allow overnight parking."

"Thank you," Ken said.

Ken climbed back into his truck. He picked up Spearow and Fennekin's Poke Balls. Fennekin looked on as he did.

"The Pokemon Center is just next door," Ken told his partner. "I'm going to check the radio and then we'll get you healed up."

Ken reached up for the microphone.

"Dispatch, this is Vulpix 3 and those Poké Balls are delivered in Pewter," Ken said. "You got anything else for me to haul this evening."

"Vulpix 3, what's your cargo area?" the dispatcher asked in response.

"I've got a shipping container on the back," Ken said.

"Roger, but then that's a negative on a next assignment," the dispatcher said. "We've got no outbound container loads from Pewter City tonight. I've got one with gravel from the quarry but that's not going to fit in your truck. Let me see what I've got instead."

Ken shrugged. They likely wouldn't be making any more runs tonight but had been a long day. Maybe it was for the best to call it a night.

"Vulpix 3, still got your ears on?" the dispatcher asked.

"Yes I do, over," Ken said.

"Alright Vulpix 3 I've got two loads for the price of one," the dispatcher said. "There's a luxury furniture factory in Cerulean City and it has two shipments due out tomorrow morning that should both fit in your container. The first is bound for a store in Rota and the second is going to Stone Town. They'll shut down for the night before you can get there but the factory reopens at 7 a.m."

"Copy that dispatch, I'm going to go 10-7 for a few hours then," Ken said. "Leave the factory a message, we'll be there first thing in the morning to get those loads. I'll deadhead my rig over the pass."

"Roger Vulpix 3, have a good night," the dispatcher said.

"10-4, good night," Ken said.

Ken looked over to Fennekin.

"What do you think bud, was that enough excitement for today?" Ken asked his partner.

"Fen, Fennekin kin Fennekin," the little fox replied.

"Let's hit up that Pokémon Center then find a place to park this rig," Ken said.

* * *

Ken and Fennekin proceeded across the street before walking through the main entrance of the Pokémon Center. The antiseptic smell of the yellow, green, and blue lobby reminded Ken a bit of a dentist office. He looked over at three young trainers watching a Pokémon battle on television where a Braixen was battling a Piplup in what appeared to be one of those Pokémon Contest battles.

Ken kept walking. He hadn't been to one of these centers in probably a decade, the only time he'd ever gone was if he and Sandra were hanging out and she needed to refresh her team. Spotting a nurse clad in pink and white he proceeded to the desk.

"Hello, my name is Nurse Joy," the nurse said. "Can I help you?"

"Howdy, my name is Ken Worth and I've got a pair of Pokémon who could use a healing if you've got the time."

"We certainly do," Nurse Joy replied, pulling out a tray. "Please put their balls on here."

"You've got it," Ken replied. "Fennekin, return."

While Fennekin wasn't too fond of his ball but Ken took it out and pulled returned his partner back into it before placing it and Spearow's ball on the tray. Maybe a moment back in the ball would reinforce to Fennekin that he shouldn't go picking fights. Nurse Joy took the Pokémon over for healing before quickly returning.

"We'll have your Pokémon healed up in no time," Nurse Joy said.

"What do I owe you for this?" Ken asked. "I'm new to the trainer thing and this is my first time using one of these."

"Oh, there's no charge for healing Pokémon," Nurse Joy replied. "It's free at all Pokémon Centers anywhere in the world."

"Really?" Ken asked. "How do you manage that?"

"Exactly as expect, it's your tax dollars at work," Nurse Joy replied. "Our role is a vital one and we provide all kinds of services to trainers young and old. We have a dining area if you'd like. There's also always lodging and laundry services available, they are free for the younger trainers but there is a cost for adult ones to help balance off their expenses."

"I should be good on those but I'll keep it in mind," Ken said. "These are nicer than I remember them."

"How long have you been a trainer?" Nurse Joy said.

"About 10 hours, give or take a few minutes," Ken said. "I drive a truck and my company's owner mandates them for protection."

"GS Transport?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Yup," Ken replied.

"We get a lot of drivers from your company coming in here," Nurse Joy noted. "Some of them are quite talented trainers. One made the quarterfinals a few years ago at Indigo Plateau. Are you gunning for the Pokémon League yourself?"

"Not really," Ken said.

"Gym battles are good way to earn your Pokémon's respect especially if you get them to a higher level," Nurse Joy said. "Registration is free service and even if you aren't working toward the championships being licensed for battle with the league has benefits. Most of the other drivers have done it, I think some try the occasional battle for bragging rights but a few are aiming for more. I can do it register you right now."

"Eh, why not," Ken said. "I doubt I'll be in any gym battles anytime soon though. I'm driving to Cerulean City tomorrow."

Nurse Joy made a few quick keystrokes on the front desk's computer.

"Alright, congratulations you are now a properly registered and ranked trainer," Nurse Joy said.

A familiar chime sounded

"And even better, you're Pokémon are healed," Nurse Joy added.

"Thank you for your help," Ken said.

"We hope to see you again," Nurse Joy replied as he handed Ken back his partners.

Ken walked out of the center and started making his way back to the truck. He called Fennekin back out of its ball.

"Fennekin, drop the hammer," Ken said before giving the ball a toss.

Fennekin reappeared in a flash of white light. He looked both refreshed and annoyed at the same time, giving his trainer a mild glare before Ken glared back at him as if to note "you did that to yourself."

* * *

Before long the two were back in Truck #2,013 with the rig making its way out of downtown Pewter City into an industrial area on its outskirts. Modern trucks came with two varieties of cabs where the driver sits, the day cab and sleeper cab. The smaller day cab is for trucks that are intended for shorter runs, making trips where a driver could plausibly reach their destination and return home within the course of a day. Sleeper cab trucks, like Ken's, were intended for longer runs and featured a bigger cab. The extra space was designed to serve as a small living area for the driver, allowing them to drive anywhere across the region with a safe, comfortable spot to sleep at their disposal without spending money on a motel room. Given how long drivers would spend in their trucks manufacturers took lengths to make sure their accommodations were hardly spartan if albeit still very tight. While this truck had some mileage on it Ken was still looking forward to his first night aboard his rig.

Ken had looked up this destination well before he ever got his job at GS and he was somewhat pleased he'd finally get a chance to try it out, the city's TU Truck Stop. TU was a chain of truck stops with locations all over. It currently promoted itself with the tagline "Travel United" but its name actually used to stand for "Travel Unova." The chain got its start in Floccesy Town as a restaurant that offered safe overnight parking to truckers bringing in equipment to supply the local railyards and subway trains. The idea got popular and soon it spread throughout its native region before going global. Today it was one of major chains of truck stops alongside the similar companies Flying P, Furfrou, Amour's, and Alola, with the latter being infamous for its tacky tropical theming despite being based in Johto.

Pewter City's TU was on the edge of town, sandwiched between some warehouses and a farmer's fields. Ken pulled into the truck parking lot and found an open space to park for the night. TU's tended to be rather advanced by truck stop standards. Ken turned his truck off and hopped out before walking over to the power pedestal alongside his spot. The setup wouldn't have been out of place at a campground as Ken opened a container on the side of his truck to reveal an electrical wire that he then hooked up to the pedestal. The setup would allow Ken to run his truck's electrical equipment inside, like the television, air conditioning, and lights, without needing to waste fuel idling its engine all night. He signaled to Fennekin to follow him as he headed into the structure's main building.

* * *

Truck stops served an important role for truckers. While their rigs were usually well-equipped there were certain things they didn't have, like showers, that only a truck stop could provide. There were more like a Pokémon Center than one would expect, here too one would find laundry and dining facilities. Most truck stops featured restaurants or cafeterias and this one was no exception. There was also a store drivers could shop at. Taking a note from Pokémon Centers, a proper battlefield was located behind the structure, perhaps for drivers with a little road rage to work out their differences. A main lobby, highlighted by a large television, served as an area for drivers to interact. A tractor pull contest was on right now and several people watched intently while others engaged in small talk.

"You hear about that fool with NQA who jammed a 750 straight up the runaway truck ramp at the top of the Pikachu Trail," one driver said.

"Yeah, sucker plowed his truck all the way up it," another driver responded. "They'll be up there all night pulling that truck out."

Ken got a nervous look on their face. Only now was he realizing that he would be driving over the Pikachu Trail for the first time to reach Cerulean City, and to get there bright and early he'd have to do it at night. He and Fennekin continued out of the lobby into the store. The business felt like a bizarre cross between a regular convenience store, an auto parts store, and a Poké Mart. One aisle featured human snacks on one side while the other was lined with truck parts like radio equipment and GPS systems. The bright glow from the refrigerated drinks area shown over everything, its shelves filled with all varieties of soft drinks, energy drinks, juices, and bottled waters. Fennekin was surprised at the variety, he'd never seen a store like this.

Given most of the clientele were truckers there was a large variety of items geared toward helping drivers stay awake on long hauls ranging from the common, such as a whole section of fresh brewed coffees with various strengths, to wilder products with names like "Five-Hour Power." Ken took note of one called "Focus Energy," like Spearow's move, that featured a raging Vigoroth doing said move on its packaging. High-powered drinks were not what Ken was looking for as he walked into an aisle featuring Pokémon-focused items, picking up some bird seed meant for flying types. At a second glance he also decided to grab one of those trainer belts that could hold Poké Balls. Why not go all in on this trainer thing, he hoped to be driving for GS for quite a while after all. After checking out the pair returned to their truck.

* * *

The kitchen in Ken's truck was small but adequate as he prepared himself a TV dinner in the microwave. Shifting focus to his Pokémon he put out two dishes and filled both with food before topping Spearow's with seed and calling out the bird. Spearow's eyes got very big at the site of its full bowl.

"I promised you a grand dinner and I deliver," Ken said to his newest Pokémon. "Delivery is kind of my job. Dig in folks."

Spearow and Fennekin both had a smile on their face as they wolfed down their food. Ken looked up at the weather and the gathering clouds. They'd get a little rain but it would likely pass before Truck #2,013 got back on the road.

After dinner Spearow requested to go back into its ball and Ken obliged. Fennekin relaxed on the bed while Ken sat in the driver's seat in the front reading up on some of the basics from that book on Pokémon training he bought in Vermilion City before deciding to turn in.

"You want to sleep in your ball?" Ken asked Fennekin.

"Kin," Fennekin replied. "Kin ne Fennekin."

"Well I can tell you right now we're not sleeping in the same bed," Ken said. "That's cute now but if you evolve it would get creepy fast. I got an alternative idea though."

Ken reached up and pulled down the bunk above his bed.

"You can have the top bunk," Ken said.

Fennekin smiled with approval as Ken picked him up and placed him on the top bed.

"Good night bud," Ken said as he turned out the lights and called it a night.

Ken rolled over and relaxed, drifting off into a mild sleep. After this wild day he was going to treasure all the rest he could get. It would be a short night but hopefully he'd be well rested to take on that run over the pass. What he didn't know as he slumbered was just how much the next 12 hours might define his career or how much they would push him, his Pokémon, and their truck to the breaking point.

* * *

At another Flying P truck stop just outside Cerulean City driver Peter Biltmore had pulled his GS Truck #9 off the road to call it a night himself. With a special cargo aboard, he felt like driving under the cover of darkness would be a good way to run a bit quieter. A run over the Pikachu Trail at night would give him almost the whole road to himself. Just outside the truck stop a red convertible sat next door in the parking lot of a bank. The disappointment on Team Rocket's Robert and Ellee was palpable. As their Purrloin sat in the backseat Ellee called their allies.

"Yeah, his truck is ailing but he pulled in at a truck stop before it gave out," Ellee said. "He's going to get going again and since he went north I think he's headed for the mountains instead of I-Route 52 like we thought. We're headed for Pewter to be ready if he comes through. Stonewall and Jackson have got the wrecker they boosted in Fuchsia City and they'll pursue. When this gear jammer dumps it we'll be there to pick up the pieces and get those cases."

"No way that rig makes it over the mountains with the brakes leaking like sieve," Robert said.

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

There's a hidden pun in cover image for this fanfic. If you can catch it send me a private message or mention it in a review if you'd like to give feedback on the fic. After this chapter the action picks up a bit.

Going 10-7 means "out of service."

The truck stop brands all sort of jokingly references to real life ones here in North America. TU, Flying P, Furfrou, and Amour's are supposed to be Pokémon versions of TA, Flying J, Husky, and Love's. Alola isn't based on anyone real, I just thought it would be funny. There was some fun stuff at the truck stop showcasing the other trucking companies of this world (Glaceon Independent Grocers and their refrigerated rigs, Tauros Trucking, etc.) and some fun with what license plates would be here but it all got cut for time.


	11. The Night the Brakes Went Out in Kanto

Pewter City could be a very quiet place at 3:30 a.m. Few stores were open, the streets were empty, and even the bars had already shut down for the night. Darkness had enveloped the city and little was visible beyond what was illuminated by the street lights. In the parking lot of the TU Truck Stop though there was someone still awake as a shadowy figure with a flashlight walked around GS Transport Truck #2,013, looking over every aspect of the vehicle including the brake lines.

The figure sat down next to the truck's left-front tire before resting his flashlight atop it and revealing his familiar face. Ken Worth was determined to make his second day as a GS driver more uneventful than his first and was giving his cabover truck a hearty inspection before setting off for Cerulean City. He pulled out a tire gauge and checked the air pressure of the tire to make sure it was holding up after he and Fennekin remounted it, in explosion fashion, yesterday. It was right at the proper level, for now that quick fix was holding up. He unhooked the truck stop's electrical hookup and prepared for his departure.

The day ahead would be a long one for Ken and his Pokémon with at least three stops in Cerulean City, Rota, and Stone Town so he wanted to get started early. By leaving before dawn he could tackle the treacherous, zigzagging mountain pass of I-Route 3, the so-called Pikachu Trail, with little in the way of other traffic to worry about. There was some rain last night and it had slicked the roads in Pewter City but it didn't reach up into the mountains. Ken was pleased the overnight shower had washed most if not all the dust from yesterday off his truck, restoring its regular blue and gold look. He was already thinking about Cerulean City. If he arrived early enough, he might be able to sneak in a breakfast at a diner or something before picking up his cargo today at a furniture factory. He's first run of the day though would be with an empty truck to go get his cargo, a trip known in the trucking business as deadheading.

The furniture he'd be moving today was high-end, as one would expect for a cargo headed for affluent areas like Rota where the city even had its own medieval castle, and that meant great care would need to be taken to get the stuff to its destinations safely. If Ken drove recklessly and damaged the cargo no doubt the company, and most certainly his paycheck, would be penalized for it. The run to Rota would be short but the trip to Stone Town would likely take all day.

* * *

Ken climbed back into the cab of his truck and got back behind the wheel. Before his inspection Ken had purchased a can of cherry-flavored "Volt Tackle" energy drink to fuel himself up. Quietly he popped the top and took a drink before starting up the truck. Behind him Fennekin continued to sleep on his bunk, greatly enjoying his first night sleeping outside his Poké Ball in ages. Ken shifted into gear and slowly his truck set off into the night. The streets were almost void of traffic as Ken made his way through downtown, driving past the city's famous science museum in the progress. Once he cleared the city and got onto I-Route 3 he started to speed up.

Fennekin felt the movement of the truck and awoke with a yawn and a smile. Quietly he hoped down and made his way to the front of the cab before taking his usual position in the passenger's seat.

"Finally got up, eh sleepyhead?" Ken asked his partner.

"Fen Fennekin fen ne Fennekin," Fennekin replied in a pleased tone, obviously having slept well.

"Today should be a fun one," Ken said. "The truck is running fine and the weather is looking pretty good. We'll get to Cerulean, get some breakfast, load up, and boogie on down the road."

"Fen fenne," Fennekin said in reply, probably the closest the little fox could manage to "sounds good."

The early stages of I-Route 3 were nice and flat as the road began to dry out. There was no one else on the road at this early hour although Ken and Fennekin took note of a trainer and her very happy looking Eevee that were hanging out in front of the Mt. Moon Pokémon Center as they passed it. Just past the Pokémon Center the road split with one branch leading off to Mt. Moon itself while the intercity route continued up into the neighboring mountains in the range to climb up and over them on the way to Cerulean City. There were rumors they were going to build a tunnel to replace this road in the future but already that effort was hitting trouble as surveyors seemed to spend more time fighting off the area's problematic Zubats than they did surveying.

* * *

The first stretch of the Pikachu Trail was a somewhat steep bit of road leading up to what drivers liked to call "Clefairy's Hairpin," a complete 180 degree turn by a scenic overlook that offered spectacular views of Mt. Moon itself. After that there was full mile of flat level road before the road shifted back into a steep grade leading into all the switchbacks. In the daylight this was the kind of road so beautiful car companies came here to shoot their commercials but in the darkness Ken and Fennekin wouldn't be enjoying many of the vistas. Ken reached for his radio as his truck climbed higher into the mountains. Some conversation would be a nice way to perk up the quiet drive.

"This is Vulpix 3, anyone else on I-Route 3 got their ears on this morning?" Ken asked.

Surprisingly the radio cackled to life with the sound of another driver's voice as Ken struck up some pre-dawn chat.

"Good morning Vulpix 3, this is Squirtle 1 westbound and down."

"Well maybe I'll get a chance to meet you in person," Ken replied. "I'm running eastbound and down up the hill."

"What's your real name, I didn't think we had a Vulpix 3."

"Worth. Ken Worth," Ken replied. "I just started yesterday after a stint at Rattata Express. Mack hooked me up with a 550 and got me rolling."

"Pleased to meet you. The name's Peter Biltmore."

Ken's eye brows raised at that, he knew he was talking to a legend. In his truck Peter was also deep in thought, he recognized the Worth name.

"THE Peter Biltmore?" Ken said. "I heard about you trashing Team Magma a few years back, that was epic."

"Yeah, those guys are real washouts," Peter replied. "Are you related to a Pokémon training Worth by any chance? A Sabrina or a Sally or a Sandra or something like that."

"Sandra is my sister," Ken replied. "How do you know her?"

"I faced her in the Sweet 16 round at the Sinnoh League a few years ago," Peter replied. "She's quite the trainer but her Blaziken was no match for my Samurott on that day."

"She always gets beat at Sinnoh," Ken said. "She's taking a shot at it again coming up soon though, hopefully this year she breaks though further."

"We'll see," Peter said.

"What's your rig today?" Ken asked. "I'm deadheading to go get some furniture."

"I got a 750 with a load of Miltank juice," Peter said.

"Well be careful with that milk," Ken said. "I hate for it to arrive already shaken up unless you premixed in some chocolate."

* * *

The banter between the only two drivers on the road was lighthearted and for the most part so was the mood in the cab of Peter's Truck #9. He was approaching the top of the pass and once he cleared the peak it was literally all downhill from there. Truck #9 had been acting up a bit this morning but it was nothing he couldn't drive though. One of his brake lines didn't air up right as he was leaving the truck stop and now he was going a bit harder on the others as a result. He'd give the truck a look over once he got to Pallet Town. Peter glanced over to the two armored cases with his special cargo, with something that secret moving in his truck he didn't want to stop on the side of the road for anything. In addition he had once had a similar issue to this just because of an easily-fixed glitch in the truck's on-board computer so he wasn't as worried about the issue as he likely should have been.

Peter was still unaware of the damage Team Rocket had done to his truck's brake lines, if he was he wouldn't have set off this morning. His primary focus was on using the cover of darkness to stealthily make his way toward his delivery at Professor Oak's lab. Peter drove over the top of the pass without a second thought unaware he has just passed the point of no return to avert disaster. Now driving down the mountains his truck began to pick up speed with gravity now on its side. Peter braked harder going into the first two turns trying to slow down and at that point it happened, the other brake lines failed and Truck #9 began to pick up speed.

Peter initially didn't notice the issue as he approached the third turn on the decent. He applied the brakes as he had all morning only for the pedal to go straight to the floorboard while nothing happened. He tried it again with the same result.

"Oh, that's not good," Peter said to himself.

With no traffic Peter swung his truck wide through the corner and made it through. However Truck #9 was starting to pick up speed and he had no way to slow it down. He hit the buttons for the truck's emergency brakes and again got nothing. He looked over again at the cases then grabbed the radio.

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY!" Peter shouted into his radio. "I got no brakes! I got no brakes! No duff!"

* * *

Back in Truck #2,013 Ken couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was a dangerous situation but usually there were preparations taken to stop it getting worse. Mountain passes like this frequently had emergency off ramps filled with loose gravel for drivers to use to stop runway trucks. It wasn't a perfect option but it beat the long fall that could come with going over the side.

"Is there a runway truck ramp up there?" Ken said.

"Yeah, I'm going to dump my rig in it," Peter said. "Get your truck moving up to the top of the hill. I need a lift and fast."

"10-4," Ken responded.

Fennekin hung on as Ken started accelerating up the hill.

* * *

In Peter's truck "Built Tough Biltmore" was steadying himself for what almost felt like a deliberate crash. The truck ramp was three turns ahead and all of them were thankfully wide. Jerking the wheel hard in every direction he made it through the first two but as he approached the third something pierced the night that he knew shouldn't be up here, a set of headlights. As Truck #9 screamed around the corner the source came into view: a large tow truck and its crew working through the night to pull out another truck already stuck in the ramp. There was no way past it onto the ramp without causing an even worse accident. Peter stuck his head out the window to warn the work crew.

"CLEAR THE WAY!" Peter yelled as the workers scattered out of his path.

Truck #9 hurtled past the ramp and now continued down the mountain, gaining even more speed. The tow crew workers mouths were agape at the scene of the big rig hurtling toward certain destruction. Suddenly a second, small pickup-based tow truck drove past them at a much slower speed. Wherever those guys were going they seemed to be in in no hurry to get there.

* * *

Peter knew losing his chance to use the ramp might be the end of him. If he swung wide at the corners he could probably get down further but he'd never get around Clefairy's Hairpin at these speeds. His truck was now doing 64 as it blasted past a "Speed Limit 45" sign. He was probably going too fast to jump for it without serious injury. He'd likely have to crash the truck on purpose into the mountain side of the road and hope it didn't slide off the edge on the other side afterward. Suddenly his radio came back to life.

"Vulpix 3 to Squirtle 1, are you in the ramp yet?"

Peter reached for his radio.

"Negative, there's already a truck in it," Peter said. "I've got no option but to keep going. I'm going to just pick a spot and crash it. It beats flying off the edge and unless you've got a way to get this rig some brakes on the fly. I'm out of options."

Ken thought for a second and just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"My rig still has its brakes," Ken said. "Can we use them to stop both trucks?"

"In theory, but if we botch that we'd both go over the edge," Peter replied. "If I get on your back bumper and you dynamite those brakes with everything you've got then it might work."

"Have you ever tried that?" Ken asked.

"No." Peter replied.

"Well, I'm still game if you are," Ken said.

"You better turn and burn then," Peter said. "I'm already up to 69 and picking up speed. If you aren't at least matching that when we try this all we'll get is a nasty pileup."

"Copy," Ken said. "You focus on getting down the hill, I'll focus on the speed. I'm at mile marker 21. There's level ground at mile marker 12 right before Clefairy's Hairpin. We'll go for it there where we've got a shot."

"Roger, I'm at mile marker 35 now," Peter said. "When we meet up I'm going to weld this rig to your back bumper."

"Weld?" Ken turned to Fennekin then back to the radio. "Would that help if we physically welded the bumpers together?"

"It couldn't hurt but you'd need a ton of courage to try a move like that at speed," Peter said.

Ken turned to Fennekin.

"Would you give it a shot?" Ken asked. "We've got to do something or he's a goner."

Fennekin thought for a second then put on a brave face.

"Fen, Fennekin fen," the little fox said.

"10-4," Ken said proudly as he reached for the radio.

"I got a guy aboard who'll try it," Ken said over the radio. "We're going to ready up as fast as possible. Good luck."

"Roger, same to you," Peter replied. "We're both going to need it to get this to work."

* * *

Ken quickly swung his truck around at a turnaround spot. If he was going to make this work then he only had a few minutes to prepare and still have enough time to get his truck up to speed. He grabbed Spearow's Poké Ball and had the driver's door flung open before the rig even stopped. He left the motor running. With Fennekin leaping out in pursuit Ken quickly opened a storage area on the truck and grabbed one of the straps that would normally be used to secure freight in place.

Ken whipped open the back doors to the container and locked them in that position. He and Fennekin climbed into the container and Ken carefully tied one end of the strap around his Pokémon. He hooked the other into floor and started to tighten it a little. The strap had a lot of flex to it so Fennekin could still move in it.

"Is it too tight?" Ken asked.

"Kin," Fennekin responded.

"Okay, that should keep you solidly in the truck," Ken said. "I'm going to head back up front and drive. When Peter gets right against our back bumper I am going to blow the horn twice and that is your signal to go and ember – spot weld our back bumper to his front bumper. Once you do get clear of the back there because I don't know what is going to happen. If this goes south then I'm going to pull the horn again and jam it on, if you hear that then cut or burn the strap and jump out the back because the truck is going over the edge. Good luck Fennekin, you are a brave one and you can do this."

"Fen," Fennekin said. "Fen Fennekin ne kin."

Ken gave the little fox a salute and leaped out of the container. He deployed Spearow from his Poké Ball just before climbing back in the cab.

"Spearow, there isn't much time to explain,"

"We've got a runaway truck bearing down on us and we're going to try and stop it. Get airborne and see if you can track it. Fly clear of the road when you can but get in close and signal me when the other truck is almost on the same straightaway as us."

"Spearow," replied the little bird as it took off.

* * *

Ken climbed back in the cab and immediately put the truck back in gear. He was starting to accelerate before he even had his seatbelt buckled. In the back Fennekin looked out the back of the truck, the asphalt of the road flying by beneath the truck as the rig picked up speed. Ken had his foot to the floor as he looked down at his speedometer, he was already up to 54 and the needle was still climbing. The driver's side window was rolled down. At this moment both trainer and Pokémon had the exact same thought going through their heads: "are we really doing this?"

The thought had little time to resonate as Spearow flew past the truck squawking wildly. There was no doubt that was the bird's signal.

"I've got it!" Ken yelled back to Spearow. "Fly clear until we stop!"

"Spearow!" the bird replied as it darted away from the truck.

Ken and Fennekin knew what was coming up now. The little fox looked straight out the back of the truck while Ken became fixated on his rear-view mirror. Peter's truck came screaming around the corner and its headlights shined brightly onto their truck. The moment of truth had arrived…


	12. The Runaway, the Rescue, and the Reveal

Normally with just two trucks on the road I-Route 3 would be a peaceful stretch of pavement at this early hour. That was not the case this morning as between the two trucks there was only one set of working brakes and they were all that stood between the big rigs and disaster. Rookie driver Ken Worth had the pedal to the medal and was giving his Truck #2,013 everything it had to stay in front of the runaway Truck #9. Haul master Peter Biltmore was at the wheel of the second truck and using every one of the skills he had acquired over the years to try and maintain something resembling control. In the back of Truck #2,013 Fennekin stared out open doors at the other truck. The little fox was starting to have a hard time believing that he was about to try and weld the bumpers of the two trucks together at speed to give his partner Ken a better shot at stopping them.

Both of the speeding big rigs whipped around corners on the mountain pass as they fast approached a steep decline leading into a one-mile stretch of flat, level road. If Ken and Fennekin were going to pull this off that single mile of asphalt would be their only chance to do so because at its end of it lay the 180 degree "Clefairy's Hairpin," a tight turn that neither truck would make it around at these speeds. The tires on both trucks screeched wildly, barely holding traction, as the big rigs blasted around the turns.

In all his years behind the wheel Peter had faced a wide variety of issues but never a loss of all braking power like this. Looking over at the two cases aboard his truck that contained a secret cargo though put the thought in the back of his head this incident may not just the be the result of normal wear and tear on his vehicle. He was glad he didn't have any of his six Pokémon out of their balls at this moment. If he survived this he was honestly looking forward to seeing the footage from his dash camera of this one.

* * *

Both trucks were now roaring down the mountain at more than 75 clicks. As both trucks hit the final straightway before the decline the headlights from Truck #9 fully illuminated the back of Ken's truck, giving Peter his first good look at Fennekin strapped in the back and ready for action. The realization of what he and Ken were going to try hit him instantly and he reached for the radio.

"Vulpix 3, please tell me your Fennekin isn't about to do what I think he is," Peter said. "That welding ember thing the guys at the garage teach is a party trick."

"I could tell you that Squirtle 1 but it would be a lie," Ken responded. "It's only got to hold for a moment."

Both drivers immediately went back to a serious demeanor.

"What's your speed?" Ken asked.

"I'm up to 80," Peter said. "Repeat. Eight-Zero."

"10-4," Ken replied. "Here we go."

In the back of the Truck #2,013 Fennekin muttered a brave "Fenne ne kin" in virtually the same tone. The two trucks screamed around the corner and onto the declining section of road. Ken looked down at his speedometer and its reading of 73 and gave the accelerator a final slam so his truck would get a last burst of speed before the inevitable collision. Getting hit by a speeding truck doing 80 would be lethal standing still but if he could get it up to 79 or so it would be almost nothing. Ken and Fennekin both let out a final gulp as the speeding Truck #9 came roaring down on them.

* * *

BANG!

A few sparks kicked off the bumpers in front of Fennekin as the trucks came together, now both doing 82. Ken and Peter were both jerked forward in their cabs by the hit but it didn't stop Ken from giving his truck's horn the two loud blasts he said he would to signal Fennekin. The sound of the horn echoed off the mountain pass as the little fox scurried to the back of the truck, fighting the gravity from the road's gradient. With everything he had Fennekin ignited his ember and put his muzzle right down to the bumpers, racing across the back of the truck to hook them together. In the cab Ken slightly touched the brakes to assure the two trucks wouldn't come apart as Fennekin worked. Peter could hardly believe what he was seeing and angled his dash camera down so it could see Fennekin. The little fox completed his assignment with remarkable speed and flicked the last of his ember out the side of the truck so Ken could see it in their truck's mirror. The truck's hit a bump in the road that popped Fennekin into the air for a moment but the bumpers stayed locked together thanks to his weld.

"Good job fire type," Ken said.

In the back, Fennekin now reversed direction and ran as far into the truck as the strap holding him in would allow. He knew what was coming next.

"Is he done back there Peter?" Ken asked over the radio.

"Your little fox is clear," Peter said. "You two are either geniuses or crazy."

"No one ever said those two things were mutually exclusive," Ken replied.

Ken released the radio.

"Alright Fennekin," Ken said to himself. "I trust your work buddy."

* * *

Ken steadied himself as the two trucks reached the bottom of the incline. The trucks had picked up a little speed after the weld and now had to go from 85 to zero. The instant the road leveled out he slammed the brake pedal straight to the floor. The brake rotors instantly went from a cool black to a burning cherry red color as Truck #2,013's stopping power was pushed to the limit. The two trucks blitzed past the first two markers indicting 0.9 and 0.8 clicks left until the hairpin but they were shaving speed fast. The needle on both truck's speedometers was now dropping like a rock.

In the back of Truck #2,013 Fennekin held on as best he could as the truck rocked back and forth while holding back Truck #9. Up front Ken looked down at the speedometer which now read just 51 as the trucks rocketed by the 0.5 marker. They needed more stopping power and Ken slammed the emergency brake buttons on truck's dashboard. Dynamiting the brakes like this was a risky move that released all of his truck's braking power at once but it wasn't like he had a choice now.

The move immediately sent the speedometer needle plummeting even faster but not without cost as the truck's back tires locked up and Truck #9's weight began pushing even harder against it. Fennekin knew his weld wasn't going to hold much longer as the bumpers started shaking as if about to break apart. The trucks flew past the 0.3 mile mark now only doing 23 but smoke was pouring from the brakes and tires on Ken's truck. Peter was hanging on dear life in the cab of his truck, all he could do was hold the steering wheel as straight as he could and hope for the best.

The two rigs were now only doing 14 clicks as they passed the 0.25 marker. For a moment Ken and Fennekin thought they were in the clear when it finally happened. The rear bumper broke, the entire bumper gave way and ripped off their truck with Fennekin's weld giving way a second later, sending the bumper crashing to the ground where it bounced up and jammed into the undercarriage of Truck #9. Truck #2,013 was starting to slide out of control even as Truck #9 slowed to a stop on the side of the road, sparks flying from the bumper now jammed beneath it as a makeshift brake. The little fox covered his head with his paws as the other truck fell back from them. With no more braking power Ken released the brakes and hit the accelerator for a moment, sliding his truck into an almost drift-like motion for a moment. The tactic was just enough to cause the truck's momentum to swing it around into a 360-degree spin that shaved off its remaining speed. Truck #2,013 came to a stop just inches from the guardrail at "Clefairy's Hairpin." The smoke from the tires and the brakes began to dissipate as they cooled down.

"Sweet Moltres on a motorcycle!" Ken shouted. "We made it!"

* * *

The brakes hissed as they reset with Ken now setting his parking brake. He flung open the cab of his truck and ran to the back of his rig. Spearow flew in for a landing just as Ken pulled himself up into the container to check on his partner.

"Fennekin?" Ken asked. "Fennekin are you alright?"

With the truck stopped Fennekin stood up proudly as Ken came running.

"Fen, kin ne Fennekin kin fen," the fox replied with a smile, almost certainly saying something like "yeah, but let's not do that again for a while."

Peter opened the door of his truck and climbed out. He kissed the ground out of the sheer joy that he had survived this wild ride. Wiping a tear from his eye he pulled a flashlight from his pocket and immediately went to check his truck's brake lines. Something stank to high heaven about this incident and his worst fears were confirmed the moment the lines came into the view. All of them had failed in a way indicting they were cut before the damage grew to the point of failure. Peter felt stupid for being in too much of a hurry and not checking these lines earlier. This was no accident; his truck had been sabotaged. And now his attention immediately turned back to the two cases bound for Professor Oak.

* * *

Ken unstrapped Fennekin from the container and alongside Spearow the trio walked over to Peter's truck with enough strut in their step that one would almost think they'd just won the Pokémon League championship. Peter was already back in his cab grabbing the cases and his dash cam as they arrived. He casually switched a new memory card into his camera and stored the one with the footage of this wild ride in his pocket as Ken arrived.

"Wow!" Ken said. "I can't believe we made it. That was awesome!"

"Yeah great, pat yourself on the back later because we've got to go," Peter said. "Is your truck still running after all that?"

"Yeah, it should be," Ken replied. "I kept it off the guardrail."

"Good, we got to go now," Peter said, climbing down with the cases. "I need to get these to Pallet Town ASAP. This wasn't an accident, someone sabotaged my truck and tried to kill me just to get these."

"Wait, what?" Ken asked, taken aback by what Peter just said. "I've got a load to pick up in Cerulean City and are you really just going to leave your damaged truck sitting on the side of the road here?"

"Trust me, these cases are more valuable than whatever you were scheduled to haul in Cerulean," Peter said. "We'll call the mechanics in Terracotta Town to come take care of the truck but we need to get on the road. These cases have to get to Pallet Town."

"What's in them?" Ken asked. "What could possibly be so valuable that you'd be willing to reroute me and leave your rig on the side of the road to move them?"

"You don't need to know that," Peter responded.

"Yes, I do," Ken said. "How do I know that's not Pokémon steroids or drugs or something else illegal. Whatever's in there is apparently worth killing over."

"Alright, you want to know?" Peter asked. "Fine."

He pulled out the key to the cases and unlocked the first one, revealing the Capture Stylers. Ken, Fennekin, and Spearow looked on.

"You know what these are?" Peter asked.

"Capture Stylers, the Pokémon Ranger's best friend," Ken said. "That's some powerful stuff. Is that really worth killing over though?"

"I doubt it," Peter said. "They were almost certainly after the contents of the second case."

Peter closed and locked the first case before unlocking and opening the second. Ken's jaw hit the floor when he saw its contents.

"Do you see why they were so willing to go after me now?" Peter said. "I don't know how they found out about these but they did. They're on their delivery run from the factory in Kalos to the professor."

Ken reached into the case and pulled out a single Poké Ball, specifically a purple-and-pink model adorned with a small "M" symbol. This was a Master Ball, the most powerful model there was. Toss it and it was an instant capture; no mess and no fuss no matter what Pokémon you were after. Ken looked over the rest of the contents of the case, there were about 20 Master Balls inside it in total.

"Professor Oak has requested these for research purposes," Peter said. "It's the largest number of them ever in one place at one time. Those balls could nab any Pokémon there is right up to the legendary ones. Do you know the kind of world-altering changes that could happen if any organization like Team Rocket got their hands on those? Can you imagine the horrors they could unleash with the power of Lugia or Kyogre or Articuno on their side?"

Ken placed the ball back in the case. He never thought he'd see a Master Ball much less 20 of them. There were rare enough some people even considered them a myth.

"How long have you been a Pokémon trainer Ken?" Peter asked.

"About 20 hours give or take an hour," Ken replied.

"Congratulations Ken," Peter said sarcastically. "With that case in your hand you are now already the most powerful Pokémon trainer on the planet."

Ken closed the case, now all too aware of what was at stake, before Peter locked it.

"We've got to go now," Ken said.

"Fen, Fennekin ne fen," Fennekin barked.

* * *

Ken, his Pokemon, and Peter began to make their way toward Truck #2,013 when suddenly a pair of headlights peaked around the hill on the top of the incline. A small, slow moving tow truck came into sight. The truck had two occupants, one of whom appeared to be talking on a radio to someone. Peter handed the cases, his dash cam, and the key to Ken.

"Take these and secure them," Peter said. "I'll handle these guys."

"Got it," Ken said.

"If this goes south you take off," Peter said. "Drive straight to Pallet Town, don't stop for anything under any circumstance. Oak's place is a big one up on the hill with a windmill. You can't miss it. And if things get nasty don't be afraid to use the chrome horn."

The chrome horn comment needed no explanation. Peter was referring to the big chrome bumper on the front of Truck #2,013. When a truck was as speed there was little the chrome horn wouldn't kick aside if a driver was actually pushed to the point of using it.

As Ken and his Pokémon climbed into their truck as the tow truck came to a stop alongside Peter's rig. The little tow truck was based on a pickup model and while more than adequate for towing a car it would stand no realistic chance of moving Peter's heavy truck. That fact sent a chill up Peter's spine as a man and a woman got out of the truck with their Pokémon, an Alolan Persian. Ken watched on and started up his truck.

"Well howdy buckaroo," said the male driver. "They call me Stonewall and this partner Jackson. We heard you were having some brake issues and thought it would be might neighborly of us to give you and your truck a lift to Pewter City."

"Your wrecker is too small to pull my truck," Peter replied. "I appreciate the thought but we should be okay. I'm calling some repair guys from our company to handle it."

"We know a thing or two about fixing trucks," Jackson said with a fake smile. "Certainly we can be of some assistance."

"Nope," Peter said. "We've got it under control. So you can head on out."

Stonewall and Jackson glanced to each other.

"Look pal, perhaps you don't understand," Stonewall said. "We want to help and we're not going to take no for an answer. With a load as important as the one you have you need all the help you can get."

"And just what load of mine are you talking about?" Peter asked.

He gave the pair a death glare. The jig was up. Stonewall signaled Jackson and in an instant both flung Poké Balls decorated with the Team Rocket logo from their belts.

"Fine, if you want to play rough then we'll play rough," Stonewall said. "Go Houndoom!"

"Go Golbat!" said Jackson.

In a flash both of the Pokemon were out of their balls and ready to battle. Peter let out two of his own Pokémon before turning to Ken and signaling him to go.

"Blastoise, Samurott, let's rock and roll!" Peter said. "GO! Deliver the cargo, I'll take these guys! GET OUT OF HERE!"

Ken immediately threw his truck in gear and backed away from the guardrail.

"Golbat, swift!" yelled Jackson

"Houndoom, fire fang!" added Stonewall. "Stop that truck."

"Hydro pump!" Peter yelled with both of his Pokémon responding. "We're built tough and you have no idea who you are dealing with here."

* * *

Ken put his truck into a forward gear and began to pull away as Blastoise and Samurott's attacks nailed their opposition with devastating force. Ken slowed for a moment to see if Peter had won and would still be coming along only to see the Houndoom and the Golbat get back up. As the battle raged Ken geared up and raced off into the night.

Truck #2,013 stormed down the mountain and back toward Pewter City. As much as Ken, Fennekin, and Spearow had hoped their second day would be a quieter one. All that was out the window now as they desperately raced toward Pallet Town with an invaluable cargo aboard and Team Rocket seemingly already on to them. Ken grabbed another gear and kept accelerating.

"Hang on you two," he said to his Pokémon. "This is going to be a wild ride."

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

Happy Fennekin Day! Let's celebrate with a new chapter.

The runaway truck scene and some of the rescue were loosely inspired by an episode of "Rescue 911" of all things. The episode recreated a real incident that occurred in Nova Scotia in 1984.


	13. Ambush in the Viridian Forest

In the world of truck driving there many challenges every driver is trained to face. Bad weather, fragile cargoes, thick traffic, and breakdowns are all stuff every driver worth their salt is ready to face. For driver Ken Worth though and his two Pokémon though this run had fast gone off the rails. Their quiet, empty run to get a load in Cerulean City had fast morphed into a gauntlet run to Pallet Town with a load of Master Balls and Capture Stylers aboard. With Team Rocket having already taken out one GS Transport truck in pursuit of the two small cases and their powerful contents the crew of Truck #2,013 all too aware they would almost certainly try again.

As the big rig stormed back toward Pewter City, Ken got a confused look from a trainer and her freshly-evolved Umbreon as the truck blitzed past the Mt. Moon Pokémon Center. The truck's radio cackled to life.

"Dispatch, this is Squirtle 1," Peter Blitmore said on the radio. "I've had an issue up on I-Route 3. Please send up a repair crew and the Pewter Police, I've had a breakdown and there's a pair of individuals here who would like a chance to rethink their lives with a stay at the 'Gray Bar Motel.' Over."

"How's that little Togepi you had riding aboard with you Squirtle 1," asked the dispatcher, certainly using a code in reference to Ken's cases.

"I took measures to assure the little egg wasn't poached," Peter replied.

Ken, Fennekin and Spearow all breathed a sigh of relief at that. Two Team Rocket field agents alone stood little chance against a former Indigo Plateau winner like Peter. Ken suspected the other GS driver would cook those two easily. It was too late to turn back now though. He maneuvered his truck off I-Route 3 and onto a ring road leading around the outskirts of Pewter City. Ken was running his truck just below the legal speed limit, he needed to get where he was going fast but if he floored it that would likely draw unwanted attention toward his truck.

* * *

The time was about 5:25 a.m. and the roads were still virtually empty. With any luck, and no further issues, they'd be in Pallet Town in about two hours. Fennekin had taken up his normal position in the passenger seat and surprisingly had something of a righteous smile on his muzzle, picking unnecessary fights like he had yesterday would only bring trouble but now he had an important cargo to protect. It was runs like this that underscored why GS drivers had to have Pokémon alongside them. Spearow had never ridden in the truck outside of its Poké Ball before and looked notably more nervous; it was a tough bird and it had seen human vehicles plenty of times before but being inside this "moving building" that was apparently its new trainer's home would take some adjustment.

"At the ready guys," Ken said. "I don't know what's ahead."

Night was fast ending as the fabled "Blue Hour" set in, almost giving the light blue GS Transport truck a deeper sapphire hue as the black of night slowly began to fade with the brightening of the horizon. As they approached the Viridian Forest Ken gave serious thought to getting off the main roads to throw off any potential pursuers if the need arose. Unfortunately, this was likely the worse place in Kanto to try something like that. Route 1 and Route 2 were known for being traversed by a lot of fresh Pokémon trainers just out of Pallet Town with their starters and the youngsters were known to make some pretty dumb mistakes right out of the gate. There had been cases in the past where new trainers set up their camp for night right in the middle of the road by mistake and for that reason those routes had much stricter speed limits than normal for any vehicle traffic. The high number of Pokémon in the forest could be another issue. The corresponding I-Routes, while obvious, were certainly still the better option.

* * *

Ken turned Truck #2,013 onto I-Route 2 and quickly accelerated back to speed as his truck entered the famous Viridian Forest. The roads were still almost empty as the truck traversed an overpass above the empty tracks of the Johto-to-Kanto Magnet Train. As the truck rounded a bend another vehicle did come into view, a red convertible with both the roof and the hood up as smoke poured from its engine bay. Ken batted an eyelash at this sight. Fennekin immediately began to bark as if trying to warn his partner something seemed fishy here.

"Kin, kin Fennekin ne kin," the little fox responded.

"Relax dude, Peter said don't stop for anything and I don't plan to," Ken replied.

What Ken couldn't see was a certain Team Rocket duo in the car readying to spring a trap. Robert and Ellee were ready to finish the job that they had started against Peter. The pair were in the process of setting a honey of a trap to get Ken to stop so they could jump his truck and take its cargo.

"They did change the truck like Stonewall and Jackson reported," Robert said. "Are you ready?"

"Born ready," Ellee said confidently, taking off her jacket.

"Show a little leg," Robert suggested.

"Oh, ha ha," Ellee responded unamused.

"This was your idea," Robert noted. "Not mine."

"Well your idea stunk," Ellee snarked. "A giant mechanical Popplio with a missile launcher? Sheesh. You've been spending too much time with those flunk outs who are always chasing that rando's Pikachu. Let's do this fast and cheap, this one is the oldest trick in the book but it works every time."

As Ken's truck approached Ellee emerged from the car wearing nothing beyond a white bikini and began gesturing with her hands trying to flag down the big rig. Robert and their Purrloin waited in the car, his hand on another Poké Ball ready to spring the trap once the truck stopped.

"Help! Help!" Ellee said, walking out into the middle of the road. "My car won't run!"

Ken could hardly believe what he was seeing from the cab, a scantily-clad woman on the side of the road desperate for assistance is something no driver expects to see although it's safe to say many of them have their hopes. And at this hour and in this situation, it was something he wasn't buying for a second. This was an obvious trap.

"Kin, kin," Fennekin barked.

"I concur," Ken replied.

Ken swung his truck wide enough to miss Ellee. He got two wheels off the pavement to get by her then hit the accelerator to pull away. Ellee seemed surprised this didn't work, having little time to do anything but take note of the #2,013 on the side of the truck and the rather smug Fennekin giving her a sarcastic wave goodbye in the passenger's window.

"Hey, get back here!" Ellee yelled. "I'm in danger and you have to stop to help! Come back!"

The truck disappeared off into the distance.

"And the Magikarp didn't take the bait," Robert said.

"Shut up and get me my jacket," Ellee said as she walked back to the car. "Great, we've got a wacko behind the wheel who can't appreciate true beauty."

Robert reached under the hood of the car and pulled out the canister that was making fake smoke. He threw it into the woods and slammed the hood of the car.

"This isn't over," Robert said. "The chase is on."

As Ellee put her jacket on she pulled out her cell phone and called for reinforcements.

"The truck is still rolling, call in the cops," Ellee said. "We're looking for GS Transport Truck #2,013. Repeat two-zero-one-three. Stop it at all costs."

"Roger," came a voice on the phone.

* * *

As Truck 2,013 blasted further into the Viridian Forest Ken and Fennekin both had the same steel-eyed look on their face peering out their big rig's windshield. Spearow waited in the back at the ready if things went south. Suddenly something caught Ken's eye in his truck's big outer mirror, the sight of flashing red and blue lights. A police car came roaring up behind the truck, its siren wasn't on but its all of its lights were. Ken wondered if perhaps someone had been called to escort their truck to Pallet Town with protection. At that moment the patrol car pulled out and drove up beside the truck.

Ken looked down to see one of the two officers in the car gesture first to the front of their vehicle then imply they wanted him to pull over. The police car had a Viridian City livery and bore markings for the "Commercial Vehicle Enforcement" division, an indicator that the officers aboard were the type that typically inspected trucks, buses, and taxis to assure the vehicles were safe to operate on Kanto's roads. Ken rolled down the window as it looked like the officer wanted to tell him something.

"Pull over for an inspection now," the male officer in the passenger seat yelled. "Your back bumper is off!"

That was true, a side effect of Ken and Fennekin's earlier stunt on the mountain pass, but something felt off about that request. Truck inspections and weight checks were standard operating procedure but they usually weren't carried out on isolated roads under the cover of darkness. They also were still a far enough north of Viridian City that an officer likely wouldn't out patrolling here without reason. Ken gave a "one minute" gesture out the window toward the police car before rolling up the window and reached for his radio, flipping it over to a police frequency. There were no playful handles in use when calling the police.

"Viridian City Emergency Dispatch, this is GS Transport Truck #2,013 and I have what appears to be one of your commercial vehicle officers trying to pull me over on I-Route 2," Ken said. "I'm willing to comply but will you please tell them I'd like to do this in town at the police station instead of on the side of the road. There's a sensitive cargo aboard and I don't want to stop in an isolated area."

The radio was silent for a moment before the emergency services responded.

"Truck Two-Zero-One-Three, please do not play around on police frequencies," the dispatcher responded. "We have no officers patrolling in the Viridian Forest at this time. Commercial Vehicle Enforcement does not patrol at night."

Ken's jaw almost dropped before he composed himself. Fennekin started a low growl ready to pounce and Spearow began to glow as it began a focus energy move.

"Viridian dispatch, I would like to request assistance then," Ken said. "I've got some jokers pretending they are cops out here and they've got a pretty convincing looking car. You're going want to nail these two before they do something stupid. I'm at marker 42 and headed south."

"Truck Two-Zero-One-Three confirm," the dispatcher said. "ETA for an officer will be about ten minutes. Stay on I-Route 2."

"10-4 dispatch," Ken said. "Thank you."

* * *

The trouble would almost certainly begin before that 10 minutes was up and Ken started planning, with the back bumper off he already had an idea. He rehung his radio and gave the now-confirmed fake police car next to him a gesture indicting he would pull over. He began to slow down as the police car ducked in behind him. Behind the wheel of the car the two male Team Rocket grunts disguised as cops were ready to pounce as one of them called up the others on a cell phone.

"This is George and my partner Pickett, we've got that truck in sight and we're pulling him over," George said. "We'll have the Master Balls in a moment. Get the 'war wagon' and the Beedrill swarm moving just in case."

Ken slowly maneuvered Truck #2,013 onto the gravel shoulder of the road. The look on his face told Fennekin and Spearow immediately that their trainer had a plan. Ken popped the clutch to change gears and started a countdown just as his truck had almost stopped with the fake police car now joining it on the shoulder. The police car was just behind the truck.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1," Ken said. "Let's roll!"

Ken slammed the truck's accelerator to the floor so fast the back wheels spun for a second, kicking up some gravel that showered down on the front of the police car as the truck blasted forward. Ken gave horn two loud blasts as he sped off and made a gesture out the window toward the car. The gravel trap held up the police car for a second but its lights kept flashing as it now gave chase. Robert and Ellee's red convertible also sped down the road to join into the pursuit.

"They'll have to do better than that to stop us," Ken said proudly. "We're hauling now."

Ken started accelerating the truck up to the speed limit and beyond it. With Team Rocket on to them now there was no point in holding back. Suddenly he had to jam the brakes as a small green van roared off a side road and took a position right in front of the truck. Ken geared up and tried to pass the smaller van only for it to also speed up, the smaller vehicle had the speed to stay in front of the truck no matter what Ken did. The truck driver gave a nervous gulp as he realized he getting boxed in and started to look for other options. Four bright yellow-and-black motorcycles also came roaring out of the woods, taking up a position behind the police car and the convertible. This was turning into a 7-on-1 handicap match and even with size on the truck's side Ken did not like those odds.

Fennekin hopped up on the dashboard of the truck trying to get a look down into the leading van when he noticed a bright flash of white light come through its back windows, as if someone had popped open a Poké Ball.

"Fennekin, fen fen!" Fennekin said to warn Ken.

The truck driver now followed his fox's lead in looking down as a second white flash emerged from the van. Someone was in the back of that van readying an attack and if Pokémon were involved there was no telling what would happen next. Ken looked at Fennekin for a moment.

"So, ah, odd question," Ken said. "Did you and your previous trainer ever try battling at high speed aboard a moving truck before?"

"Kin," Fennekin replied.

"Yeah, I figured that was the case," Ken said. "Alright, it'll be the first time for all of us then. Peachy."


	14. Speeding Into a Pokémon Battle

As dawn began to break over the Viridian Forest I-Route 2 was almost clear of traffic. For Ken Worth and his two Pokémon, Fennekin and Spearow, that was one of only things they had going for them as two cars, a van, and four motorcycles from Team Rocket were now starting to surround their blue-hued GS Transport Truck #2,013. Even a Zubat could probably see at this point things were about to get very ugly, very fast as the trio's attempt to deliver two cases of Master Balls and Capture Stylers to the Pallet Town laboratory had been intercepted by Kanto's most infamous criminal organization. On the truck's dashboard the dash camera Ken's fellow trucker Peter Biltmore had given him sat silently recording everything. Ken glanced to it for a second then back straight ahead at the road.

A Team Rocket van, dubbed by the attackers as their "war wagon," had gotten out in front of Ken's truck and despite every effort he made to pass it the little van had the speed to outrun the truck. At the present though, the van seemed to have little interest in outrunning them. Both vehicles barreled down the road with their drivers now taking the speed limit as little more than a ballpark suggestion. Two flashes of white light had just illuminated the back of the van for a brief moment and the GS crew knew what was coming next. Team Rocket was going to attempt to hijack their truck and its cargo in transit and in a dangerously desperate move, no doubt spurred on by their failure to get it when they took out Peter's truck earlier, they were going to attempt to do it with a Pokémon battle in moving vehicles.

Ken, Fennekin, and Spearow could only gulp. There was a type of Pokémon battle involving vehicles but so-called "road battles" were extremely rare and almost never attempted outside fringe motorsports events on closed courses. And yet, here they sat stuck in the middle of imminent throwdown. Peter had told them not to stop for anything and use the old "chrome horn," a slang reference to slamming vehicles out of the way with the front bumper if necessary, if they had to keep moving. For the Truck #2,013 team that advice was fast becoming their only viable battle strategy.

"Well, here we go guys," Ken said. "Let's get fired up for action. It isn't like we have a choice."

"Fen, Fennekin fen kin ne," Fennekin responded.

Ken wasn't sure what that meant but he hoped his partner was fired up for what was sure to be a far more intense battle than anything they got into yesterday. Ken reached up and give the truck's air horn two long, aggressive "get out of my way" pulls. He meant for it to be a final warning to prevent a battle but he was hardly in a position to start making demands.

* * *

Spearow joined Fennekin on the dashboard as all six eyes at the front of Truck #2,013 looked down at the back of the Rocket van. With a clank the doors unlatched and flung open to reveal a female Rocket Grunt and two Pokémon, a Pidgeotto and an Alolan Vulpix. Ken did a double take as glanced at the opponent's fox Pokemon, the truck driver knew the local fire type Kanto version well but he'd never seen a white Vulpix before. He started thinking it must just be one of those shiny ones that his sister Sandra was always after and his unfamiliarity meant he wasn't prepared for what came next as the ice type launched the first attack. He steadied himself, expecting an incoming blast of fire.

"Time to trash that truck," the grunt said to her Pokémon. "Vulpix, powder snow that big rig."

"Vul!" the little fox responded before letting out a blast of ice straight at the front of the truck.

In the truck Ken's jaw about hit the floorboard as instead of fire found the front of his truck with a snowy blast of precipitation. He hit the brakes but it wasn't enough to stop the Vulpix as it moved its head up and down and coated the front of the cabover big rig with a thin sheet of ice, obscuring his vision completely. Ken tried to turn on the truck's windshield wipers only to have them jam immediately, they weren't designed for this. The ice coated the intake to the truck's radiator meaning that despite the cold if they didn't find a way to clear the ice fast the truck's engine would likely begin to overheat without air flowing to it.

With the truck now running blind Fennekin ran across the dashboard in front of Ken, closed his eyes, and vented a large amount of heat from his ears straight into the windshield. The vulpine defroster produced enough heat to melt the ice just enough some of it cracked and flew off the truck. It wasn't much but it gave Ken enough vision to see where he was going.

"Nice one," Ken said, clearly impressed.

The driver reached for his radio to call for help. It was still tuned to the police frequency.

"This is GS Truck #2,013 MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!" Ken called desperately into the microphone. "Hijack attempt in progress, I-Route 2! Request all available emergency services assist ASAP!"

Looking up into the icy windshield the grunt could see Ken was using the microphone.

"Pidgeotto, shut him up," the grunt called out.

"Otto!" responded the evolved bird as it launched into the air while flying out of the van.

Ken was more focused on the radio as Fennekin and Spearow watched the evolved flying type take flight.

"Roger GS Truck," came the Viridian City dispatcher. "Where are you?"

On the roof of the truck there was a mysterious sound of ripping metal. It got Ken's attention but he tried to stay calm on the radio.

"I'm at marker 37, over," Ken said.

Ken listened carefully but there was no response, only static.

"Are you still there Viridian City PD?" Ken asked.

At that moment the Pidgeotto cockily flew past the truck's driver's window as if to showoff it had ripped off the truck's radio antenna, ending Ken's broadcast. The arrogant bird dropped the antenna on the side of the road then launched a wing attack to rip off the truck's driver's side mirrors. The look on Ken's face was now one of pure rage. He still had his cell phone in his pocket but with a more immediate issues to deal with he didn't exactly have time to use it.

"Oh, it's on now," Ken said angrily. "Let's show these punks who the real kings of the road are. Ready guys?"

"Fen," said Fennekin.

"Spearow," added Spearow confidently.

"Alright, Fennekin take the passenger's window and ember that van then the ice," Ken said. "Spearow, I'm going to use your Poké Ball to get you airborne. Peck that Pidgeotto as hard as you can."

Ken's two Pokémon nodded in agreement.

"Let's boogie," Ken said.

* * *

Ken reached for the cupholder where Spearow's Poké Ball was and pulled the tiny bird into it with a flash before he rolled down the driver's window of his truck. He signaled Fennekin to get close to him. Quickly he put his hand out the window and clicked the ball to release Spearow who reappeared in flight and soared into combat against the Pidgeotto. At the same time Fennekin kicked his head out the window and, taking advantage of the cabover's short nose, launched a show of sparks directly at the exposed back of the van before Team Rocket could react. He nailed the Vulpix and did some damage with a type advantage on his side.

"Bullseye," Ken said.

Fennekin turned his attention to the ice on the front of the truck and used another ember on it, a large chunk of it held steady on the grill but the damaged ice on the windshield now completely flaked off to give Ken a better view. With both sides having fired their opening salvos the fight was on.

"Hey these guys got a little fight in them," the female grunt said to the van's driver. "I like that, makes me feel less guilty. Keep your foot in it."

She turned her attention back to her Pokémon.

"Let's use some slick moves," said the grunt. "Vulpix, powder snow the road. Lock it on until he spins out."

"Pix!" it responded.

Vulpix angled its head down and cut loose a snowy blast that instantly turned the dry pavement into a slick coating of fresh ice. The loss of traction almost jerked the truck out of control as Ken gripped the steering wheel like his life depended on it. The truck started to slid but he kept it under control.

"I've heard of ice road trucking but this is crazy," Ken said.

The suddenly slippery road caught out some the other Team Rocket pursuers. Both Robert and Ellee's convertible and George and Pickett's phony police car had to back off while the first two of the motorcycle-ridding thugs flat out lost it, their bikes colliding before both they and their riders took a tumble that knocked them out of the chase altogether. As the remaining vehicles speed off into the distance the motorcycling Rockets barely had a moment to catch their breath before a police cruiser came into view with an arrest now imminent.

* * *

Back in the truck Ken and Fennekin were setting up a finisher for this fox-vs-fox showdown. As the road got icier and icier Ken was struggling to maintain control of the truck and it gave him an idea. The truck was starting to slide toward the side of the road. With the ice he had to use it before it he ended up losing it. Ken grabbed Fennekin and put him on his lap.

"When I open the door, give me an ember as hot as you can make it," Ken said.

"Fen," Fennekin replied before suddenly realizing what Ken wanted. "Kin, fenne?"

Ken spiked the trucks brakes and whipped the wheel to deliberately put the truck into a skid as he flung the driver's doors open. Fennekin's eyes got big as he realized he now had a straight shot at Vulpix and took it. The resulting shower of sparks nailed the ice type and melted its chances of victory by fainting it. The attack hit with enough force to throw Vulpix up toward the front of the van and distract the driver.

Ken slammed the door as he mashed the throttle and turned hard to pull the truck back out of the skid. The Rocket grunt and her driver were caught off guard by the move and the GS crew took advantage. With dry roads back on his side Ken mashed the accelerator and his big rig rammed the back of the "war wagon," throwing the grunt off her feet and crushing about a foot off the back of the van. All of the ice on the front of the truck shattered with much of it being flung into the van before sliding back out. As the truck braked one of the van's rear doors fell off onto the roadway where it was instantly crushed as Truck #2,013 drove over it.

"One down, one to go," Ken said as the grunt stumbled to her feet in the back of the damaged van while returning Vulpix to its ball.

* * *

In the air above the high-speed chase Pidgeotto made another dive at Truck #2,013, aiming to get its other outside mirror. Before it could Spearow flew and nailed it with a peck attack that knocked it off course but hardly slowed it. The heroic bird let a smile come across its beak for a moment until it noticed Pidgeotto banking into a turn and flying right back at it. The now angry opponent launched a wing attack that connected with Spearow before turning in mid-aid for a gust attack that slammed Spearow right out of the air and onto the top of the truck.

Ken looked up when he heard Spearow hit the top of the truck but before he could call another attack Spearow had already begun to glow as it started to focus its energy. It was a heartbreaking sound to hear the bird crash like that but it gave Ken an idea. Out flying the evolved bird was unlikely so Spearow and the team would have to out think it. Spearow ducked as Pidgeotto launched another wing attack, missing this time. As the opposing bird zoomed off Spearow noticed Ken had his arm out the window of the truck gesturing at its roof and the top of its container.

Spearow started to smile again as it took flight again and zoomed straight at Pidgeotto. An airborne Combusken run ensued with the two dogfighting combatants almost colliding head on before Spearow ducked right at the last moment forcing Pidgeotto to swing around and pursue it. The bird locked in on its smaller target, almost getting tunnel vision as focused on nothing but the now diving Spearow. As Pidgeotto closed in on Spearow it had no idea this was exactly what its opposition wanted. Pidgeotto was right on Spearow's tail when the bird suddenly whipped itself out and backed off so it could drop behind its Team Rocket chaser. Pidgeotto looked back for a second then looked ahead only to realize too late it was now flying directly at Truck #2,013.

"Ot pidge," said the bird right before it collided with the speeding truck, ricocheting off it in a blast of feathers as it was knocked out of the battle only for the grunt to call it back.

"Good job Spearow," Ken said as the bird flew by victoriously.

"Spearow!" it responded.

* * *

The female Rocket grunt was starting to look unamused as she pulled another Poke Ball.

"Raticate go!" she shouted.

The tawny brown rodent appeared in a flash, ready for action. It let out an ominous roar when released. Spearow flew in close to the truck as Ken and Fennekin readied another counterattack. The grunt meanwhile was ready to start dealing some serious damage.

"Raticate, hyper beam that Spearow," the grunt said. "Then use it again and get the truck. Aim for the driver."

"Raticate!" it responded.

A gold glow began to gather around the rodent's mouth before it let loose a brutal attack. It happened so fast Ken and Spearow didn't have a chance to react before the hyper beam scored a direct hit on the avian combatant. Spearow fainted in midair but before he could hit the pavement Ken recalled him into his Poké Ball.

"You did great out there Spearow," Ken said. "I'll get you help as soon as I can."

"Ne Fennekin fe ne!" Fennekin said, trying to get Ken's attention.

"Huh?" Ken asked.

The little yellow fox gestured out the windshield toward the van as the Raticate charged up another attack and aimed it at the truck. There was almost no time to react.

"GET DOWN!" Ken yelled as he tried a last second swerve.

Raticate's hyper beam launched and ripped into the front of the truck straight through the windshield before the rodent then pulled it down the front of the speeding truck into the pavement. The explosive power of the attack hitting the road blasted up enough dirt the truck was suddenly hidden from view as it bounced into the air after hitting the resulting pot hole. There was an eerie sound of crashing metal as it slammed back to earth.

"Turn around, we got him," the female grunt called to her driver. "Let's get the Master Balls and then…"

Suddenly there was a loud horn sound as Truck #2,013 came blasting out of the dust cloud and again rammed the back of the van. The front of the big rig had enough battle scars one would think it had just gone 10 rounds with a Lucario but remarkably the truck was still running. The windshield was all but shattered with a hole burned clean through it, and the truck's roof above it, by the attack. Ken and Fennekin sprang back up having ducked out of the way just in time. With machine-like efficiency Ken shoved the broken windshield out of his way with enough force it simply fell off the truck.

"You know the weather is really nice this morning," Ken said sarcastically. "Let's drive with the windows down the rest of the way."

"Fen fen," Fennekin barked in return, equally dripping with sarcasm.

The look of anger on the grunt's face that the hyper beam hadn't stopped the truck was palpable. About the only thing that could match it was the determination starting to built up in Ken and Fennekin to get their delivery to Pallet Town no matter what. As the chase screamed toward the outskirts of Viridian City this over the road showdown was far from over.

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

I love a good car chase and it's rare to get to do one in a Pokémon fic. I've been trying to build to this big chase scene for the whole fic because I thought it would be cool to do one with our heroes and villains throwing attacks at each other while speeding down the highway.

Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I had a lot of real life commitments of late that needed to be taken care of.


	15. A Smashing Way to Start the Day

As the sun peaked over the horizon in western Kanto the blue hour was beginning to fade into the orange glow of a new dawn. As the clock dinged 6 a.m. it wouldn't be long now before people would start preparing for work and trainers would begin another day of adventure. But at this early hour one adventure had already been thrown into high gear as truck driver Ken Worth and his partner Fennekin desperately tried to outbattle Team Rocket without stopping their big rig as they raced toward Pallet Town.

The hyper beam from Team Rocket's Raticate had seriously damaged Truck #2,013 but thankfully the two cases containing the Master Balls and Capture Stylers were undamaged. The same could not be said for Ken's borrowed dash camera. While its hard drive had survived the front of the camera had not, leaving it broken and out of action. The truck's windshield was also gone and its radio disabled. Worse yet with Spearow knocked out it was literally just Ken and Fennekin now against their opposition. Both took a glance up through the truck's newly installed sunroof courtesy of a hole the Raticate had burned straight through it. With the jerks in the van forced to pause after two straight hyper beams it gave the trucking pair a brief moment to think about a new course of action.

"I don't think we can take another hit like that one," Ken said.

"Fen," the little fire type barked in agreement.

"We may need to get a little more aggressive if we're going to get through this," Ken said. "Shall we give them a little more of the chrome horn?"

"Fen fen," Fennekin replied with a slightly nasty little smile.

On the front of the truck the so-called chrome horn, the truck's front bumper, was about the only still shining as the truck roared toward Viridian City. The first exit into the city was coming up and Ken thought for a minute about getting off I-Route 2. On surface streets he might stand a slight chance of losing them, having many more alternate routes available. With an unexpected turn or a surprise obstacle he might be able to get away or at least find a police station where he could park the truck and get some help. Maybe even the Viridian City Pokémon Gym would do, surely the gym leader and their companions had to be powerful trainers that Team Rocket wouldn't dare mess with.

He almost immediately discarded that thought. The highway was quiet this time of day but even this early city streets would not be. Even if he jammed his truck horn on there would surely be someone who wouldn't see him coming. It wasn't worth it; he'd stay on I-Route 2. It's better to wreck the truck or lose the cargo then get someone innocent hurt.

* * *

Even with the first two motorcycles from Team Rocket's "Beedrill Swarm" wrecked the pursuit was still five on one. In the villain's "War Wagon" van leading the chase Raticate was ready for another round. It took aim at the truck, this time aiming for the grill. A clean shot to cook the engine would bring this battle to an end instantly. It awaited its trainer's command to fire. Behind the truck the two remaining bikes, Rocket Grunts Robert and Ellee in their convertible, and George and Pickett in their phony Viridian City police car all gave chase. Pickett was at the wheel of the police car and swung wide before mashing gas pedal. He couldn't see the "War Wagon" or what was about to happen. Meanwhile in the truck Ken and Fennekin were looking down all too aware.

"We've got to charge in there and help the War Wagon," Pickett said.

"Hold back, they'll get him," George said.

"No, we're charging in," Pickett said. "Get your Poké Balls ready. Let's get him."

Pickett's move might have been a good idea on one level, with Truck #2,013's driver's side mirror knocked off earlier Ken legitimately couldn't see him coming and was too focused on the van anyway. Too bad the timing of that move was his undoing.

"Raticate, blast them!" yelled the female trainer in the van. "Finish this."

"RATICATE!" said the rodent as it charged its hyper beam.

In the truck Ken had just a millisecond to react and jerked the truck quickly to the side right where Pickett was racing up. Fennekin lost his grip and slide on his chair, getting flung into the back of the truck when Ken mashed gas just as Raticate fired the beam. The truck slammed into the police car just as it got alongside the rig, forcing it aside with ease as it just managed to avoid the violent blast. The blast streaked behind the truck and hit one of the motorcyclists, instantly blowing up the bike as the rider was blasted off it, flying off the destroyed vehicle into a roadside lake with a splash.

Things were worse in the police car as body slam from the truck broke a wheel and sent it careening out of control. George and Pickett braced for impact as their phony police car flew off the road into its median out of control. The car left the ground before it came down hard in the grass that was still slicked from the previous night's rain shower last night. The force of the impact bounced the car back into the air and its momentum carried it over from there. The two Team Rocket grunts held on for dear life as airbags deployed and the car went into a vicious side-over-side rollover, throwing off parts in every direction as it turned over. The police light bar atop the car was crushed to pieces as the vehicle did three complete rollovers before landing on its wheels and sliding to a stop in a patch of mud.

Ken quickly peeked out the driver's window of the truck, seeing the damage before turning his attention back to the road. Fennekin's fall had seen the little fox bump into storage compartment that flipped open revealing a few of the truck's spare cargo straps.

"Fenne fen kin?" Fennekin asked.

"Yeah, we got him somehow," Ken replied. "They've flipped out."

* * *

Back in the police car George and Pickett both groaned. Amazingly, while they had both had the wind knocked out of them in the crash, they had escaped serious injury. The motorcyclist was also only dazed and confused as stumbled soaking out of the lake. The crumpled passenger's side door fell completely off the police car as George and Pickett stumbled to their feet.

"You know, with the benefit of hindsight I don't think that charge was a good idea after all," Pickett said.

"You don't say?" replied George sarcastically as an ambulance and a pair of real police cars approached to take them and the motorcyclist into custody.

* * *

In the truck Fennekin looked at the straps and thought back to his stunt near Mt. Moon. The little fox may not have had his future Delphox psychic typing yet but the neurons in his brain were firing on all cylinders and he had a plan. He grabbed one with his mouth and scurried back to the front of the cab.

"We've got to take that Raticate out and fast before it takes out our rig," Ken said. "If we had a straight shot like we did with that weird Vulpix we'd have a chance but I don't know how we'd get that without the ice or something like it again."

Fennekin spit out the strap and barked at his trainer. Ken looked over and Fennekin gestured to it, himself, and the missing windshield. Ken realized what he was asking for.

"You certainly are crazy like a fox," Ken said. "I actually kind of like that about you."

* * *

The chase was quickly going south for Team Rocket as Raticate was starting to tire out after its three powerful attacks.

"Does it have any other attacks?" the van driver asked his partner.

"Nothing viable," the female grunt replied. "Super fang and crunch aren't going to do anything to a giant truck. I'll give it a moment then fire again."

If Ken and Fennekin were going to counter this might be their only chance. Quickly Ken tied one end of the strap around Fennekin's waist.

"You sure about this?" Ken asked.

"Fen, Fennekin!" Fennekin replied proudly.

"Alright, ember them hard as you can once you are out there," Ken said.

"Fen," Fennekin replied.

The little yellow fox leaped out the truck's windshield as Ken held the strap with one hand and the wheel with the other. Fennekin used one of his paws to stop himself slamming into the front of the truck as the strap pulled him back toward it. He came to rest on the chrome bumper. The female grunt and Raticate had little time to react as Fennekin opened his mouth and sent a shower of hot sparks flying into the back of the van.

Fennekin ended his attack with a smile on his face until he saw the Raticate was still standing.

"Raticate, crunch," called the grunt. "End this intrusion."

Ken saw what was happening and jammed Truck #2,013's brakes. The Raticate's attempt to leap out and attack Fennekin missed as the big truck lost ground away from the van. The grunt quickly grabbed her Pokémon's tail to pull it back into the van before it hit the pavement. The truck's nose dipped under braking and flung Fennekin forward for a moment before he swung back on the strap and hit the truck. He shook it off. That was a near miss.

"I'm going to get back up there, let's go again Fennekin," Ken shouted as he pushed the accelerator pedal back down. "I believe in you buddy."

While his trainer's confidence in him gave Fennekin a shot of price he started to have some panicked thoughts. This could be his last chance to save the truck. He needed something more powerful to attack with than ember. He had to get something to help. And then it happened, a power inside him unlocked. Fennekin froze as a sudden surge of heat started building up inside him. His eyes got even redder than normal as the big truck charged at the little van. He had a new attack and he was ready to use it.

"FENNEKIN!" the little fox shouted before launching his newly-learned flamethrower attack.

The flames blasted forth from the little fox's mouth right into the back of the Team Rocket van. The grunt, her driver, and the Raticate all felt the burn as the van's interior was fully engulfed for a moment. As Fennekin turned off his flames the fire subsided with Raticate knocked out and the grunt and her driver both burned black. The windshield was so badly burned the driver couldn't see out of it but the fire damage to the steering wheel and column was a more pressing issue as the wheel came off in his hand, causing the van to spin out. The grunt recalled Raticate back into its ball and held on as the van slammed into a concrete barrier with its driver's side carrying enough momentum the passenger's side was briefly lifted off the ground. The van's rear axle snapped in half and the War Wagon would go no further as the chase sped off into the distance. While the grunts escaped injury they too would now face arrest as a Viridian City police motorcycle closed in; the crew escaped injury but they wouldn't escape jail.

"Whoa," said Ken before reeling his partnered back up.

Fennekin assisted the process by using the truck's grill as a makeshift step ladder. As he reached the windshield he climbed back into the truck with a smile on his face.

"Whatever that was I like it," Ken said.

"Fennekin," Fennekin replied with pride.

* * *

With the War Wagon finally gone Ken turned his attention to his last two pursuers. With just a sports car and a fast bike left outrunning them certainly wasn't an option now nor was ramming with them behind them. For a moment he glanced down to the controls for the truck's twist locks, wondering if he could unlock and drop the truck's container at them as a weapon. He decided against trying that, relatively modern trucks like this 550 Dittocruiser had automatic systems specifically to prevent a container coming loose if a truck was in motion.

Ken finally saw something that may be of help, the last exit into Viridian City. It wasn't the exit that interested the trucker but the guardrail next to it. The end of the rail was protected by an impact attenuator, the common sets of yellow barrels that were always placed at the edge to cushion an impact if a vehicle hit them and stop them getting speared by the rail itself. Ken had been driving that delivery van for three years and he knew the roadside hazards in Kanto well, while many attenuator barrels were filled with sand those were the kind filled with water and it gave him an idea. They were designed to stop a car or a pickup but something with as much mass as his truck should go right through them.

"Fennekin, get in the back," Ken said. "Hug the back of my seat because I have a feeling you won't like what comes next."

"Fen," the fire type said nervously before following his order.

Ken mashed the gas and accelerated his big rig toward the exit with the bike and the car in fast pursuit, he even flipped on his turn signal to make sure they would know the direction he was going. At the last possible moment Ken suddenly turned his truck straight the barrels. His blue truck hit the plastic barrels and instantly all of them were smashed to pieces creating a large wall of water that soaked the road. Ken ducked as some of the water splashed through the broken windshield into the cab. Fennekin held tight, using Ken's chair to avoid taking damage from the wave. A soaked but smiling Ken kept his foot to the floor as he brushed the water off his face.

Outside the resulting wave took out the last Beedrill Swarm biker, he wiping out trying to make a fast move through the suddenly wet conditions. Robert and Ellee's sports car lost traction as it swung back onto the highway and spun out.

"Truck driver used hydro pump," Ken said jokingly as Fennekin climbed back into the passengers seat. "It's super effective."

Ken looked into the passenger's mirror as the sports car looped around. But then in a remarkable display of driving Robert recovered and accelerated just as the spinning red sports car was pointed straight down the road. The chase was still on. Ken and Fennekin's jaws about hit the floor at the move, their frustration now building.

"Oh come on," Ken said.

"Fen, ne kin Fennekin," Fennekin added.

* * *

Truck #2,013 screamed off I-Route 2 onto I-Route 1. It was Pallet Town or bust now. With Team Rocket's pursuers dropping like flies Ellee pulled out her cell phone. There was still one card up their sleeve left to play.

"Yeah, it's Ellee," she said. "The GS truck is still rolling. Initiate "Plan RB" in the Pallet Road Tunnel. If that truck gets that far that should stop it."

"I hear you, we'll be there," came the voice of another grunt.

As a result of the call two slick black luxury cars hit the road in Pallet Town and began driving toward the tunnel on I-Route 1 to seal off Ken and Fennekin's last chance of getting through. The two cars were large and imposing, both heavily constructed to be the ultimate models for their market segment. They'd been carefully selected in case the need to implement "Plan RB" came up. The name was a direct reference to the assignment at hand: form a road block.

* * *

AUTHOR NOTE: Again with the weird stuff to inspire a scene in a Pokémon fic. Ken's stunt with the water barrels is loosely inspired by NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip's crash during the 1995 AC-Delco 400 race where he spun his car into some water barrels during a crash and set water flying everywhere as a result.


	16. A Blockbuster Hit

I-Route 1 is one of the most scenic routes in Kanto. Here the road narrows from four lanes down to just two but it remains a rather straight, flowing thoroughfare that connects Viridian City to the small community of Pallet Town to its south. The route passes through scenic green meadows, lush forests, and stony gray mountains headed toward the verdant fields surrounding the town. The road was a favorite with many of the region's truckers since it provided a quick passage to both Pallet Town and the docks at the end of I-Route 21 where cargoes connected to area islands or far eastern Johto ports were regularly shipped in and out.

Pallet Town itself was a pretty small community, almost all cargoes headed there were related to the area's various farms and agricultural industries or its status as the launching point for the journey of most of the region's Pokémon trainers. The town famously had just one restaurant but three very successful stores that all sold camping equipment, backpacks, and other items specifically geared toward a new trainer headed out on their journey. The often expensive or vital shipments of Pokémon research equipment, supplies, and other items heading to the lab of a certain Professor Samuel Oak were the most notable exceptions to that trend and today there was a doozy of a cargo headed his way.

* * *

With the clock now reading 7:07 a.m. a new day had dawned in western Kanto but the arrival of daylight had only minor benefits for the crew of GS Transport Truck #2,013 as driver Ken Worth and his teammate Fennekin continued their desperate charge toward the laboratory with two special cases aboard, one loaded with Pokémon Ranger-spec Capture Stylers and the other filled to the brim with enough Master Balls to remake the world if they were to fall into the wrong hands. Ken was looking at his mirror almost as often as the road ahead as his big rig sped down the road with just a single Team Rocket pursuer still hunting them in an effort to hijack the precious cargo.

With most of the Rocket gang's chasers having been crashed out of the pursuit near Viridian City only the lone red sports car of Robert, Ellee, and their Purrloin remained in pursuit. The car was faster than the truck by a long shot but that did little good at the moment. Since the road had narrowed, they now stood little chance of passing it especially given how willingly the truck driver had just turned the highway through Viridian into a straight up demolition derby. The car also stood no chance of being able to physically force the much heavier commercial truck off the road. Instead for now the pair just held back, lying in wait. With Plan RB in place Robert and Ellee knew that their goal shouldn't so much be trying to stop Truck #2,013 but more just assuring it couldn't escape, like a Herdier guiding Wooloo into the barn to get sheared. The trio had sinister smiles on their faces, fully aware of what was next.

* * *

Aboard the truck Ken and Fennekin was starting to cool off a little. Ken was well aware that car couldn't stop him if he kept moving and Fennekin easily picked up on his trainer's improving mode. As his truck began to pull away from the car a bit Ken let out a minor sigh of what could be called relief. He wasn't sure if he could lose them completely by the time he got to Pallet Town but he was confident that if he could just get to Professor Oak's laboratory the problem would solve itself. Many trainers from across the region, his twin sister Sandra included, sent their Pokémon to live with the professor when they weren't in action so he could care and them. There was no doubt in Ken's mind the man must have some real powerhouses at his disposal and the knowledge to use them. There had been some direct Team Rocket attacks on his compound before and they usually ended up with the would-be thieves blasted out of town.

The blue-and-gold GS Transport truck passed a sign refreshingly reading that Pallet Town was only a few markers further down the road. The last leg of this two-hour run with a cargo he was never supposed to carry was finally about to be over. The last leg of the journey would take Ken and Fennekin through a true wonder of highway engineering, the famous Pallet Road Tunnel.

Depending on how you wanted to measure it the tunnel was a shortcut that ran just over five miles or eight kilometers straight under a mountain. Before the tunnel was built Pallet Town could only be reached by winding roads through the mountains that were tough to drive and took hours to traverse. The construction of the tunnel cut the journey down just minutes but it wasn't easy to build. The tunnel famously had a bend to its route because harder than expected rock near its center forced it to be rerouted, it was impossible to see from one end of it to the other as a result. Radios also got bad reception inside the tunnel due to all the rock and cell phone service wasn't available.

Almost every new trainer who arrived or set off on their Pokémon journey by car would start their trip by passing through the tunnel and that fact wasn't lost on its builders. The words "Journey On" had been proudly engraved on the tunnel above both of its entrances. Ken had a smile on his face as his truck stormed into the tunnel when he glanced in the mirror to see the little red sports car braking hard and seemingly give up the chase, its driver choosing not to enter the tunnel. Ken backed off the throttle since he no longer needed to push his truck to outrun it.

"Oh thank Arceus," Ken said. "That's the last of them buddy. Looks like they won't chase us into Pallet itself."

"Fen, Fennekin," Fennekin happily barked in return.

"You were awesome back there," Ken said, reaching over to give the little yellow fox a happy pet. "We're going to make it. We are finally going to make it."

"Fen fen," Fennekin yipped.

Ken thought for a moment about how he'd need to call his dispatcher once the delivery was made, his truck would certainly need some repairs and with his CB radio being knocked out early in the chase they were probably wondering where he was. He also couldn't wait to brag to some of the other truckers about this crazy run.

The mention of other truckers though suddenly turned Ken's smile upside down. I-Route 1 was popular among truckers but he hadn't seen any this morning. Even at this early hour someone should be northbound from the I-Route 21 docks with some sort of load. As Truck #2,013 passed the halfway mark of the tunnel Ken started looking around more intently, something wasn't right here. The tunnel was only two lanes wide like the rest of the route so turning his big truck around in here wasn't going to be an option. He continued driving at a normal speed as his truck rounded the bend in the tunnel.

As the end of the Pallet Road Tunnel came into view Ken and Fennekin briefly breathed a real sigh of relief as they noticed two sets of headlights in the distance, one in each lane. Cars weren't supposed to try and pass in the tunnel but that was close enough to the entrance the driver probably just misjudged their timing. Things were looking well for a second until Fennekin started barking wildly and Ken noticed said cars weren't moving.

"Oh, this is going to be trouble," Ken said.

"Fen," replied his Pokémon with a solemn bark.

Ken braked and Truck #2,013 slowed as it approached the exit. The two cars had been placed at angle across both lanes with their front bumpers almost touching. Ken hoped just for a moment this might be a fender bender or something minor but judging by the lack of any backed up traffic behind them it was clear this was likely something more sinister. This was a road block and there was no way around it. The Pallet Road Tunnel was a natural choke point in their journey and the opposition had jumped on it.

* * *

The big truck slowed to a stop only about 30 feet from the cars. Its brakes let off a mighty hiss as the pursuit that began in the Viridian Forest finally paused. Ken and Fennekin were close enough they could see the full details blockade, two well-made luxury cars and two men, one short and one tall, in nice suits that both had a small "R" insignia on the front.

"I have to hand it to Team Rocket," Ken said sarcastically. "They do know how to take advantage of strong branding."

The two well-dressed grunts both had belts adorned with numerous Poké Balls. The short one reached down to put his hand on one as the tall one climbed over the hood of one of the cars and started walking toward the truck. Ken was already thinking about if there was a way to get back out of this situation and he was starting to think he had one.

"Alright hot head, turn off the engine and hand over the crates," the tall grunt called up to Ken. "You had your fun but this is over. Let's not make it messier than it has to be."

Ken gave him a smile out his rig's missing windshield and reached down before lifting up one of the cases into the grunt's line of sight. Quietly he then put it down as the grunt approached the truck.

"I got a plan," Ken said to Fennekin. "Hang on."

Ken grabbed his gear shifter and hit the clutch. The sound of him doing this was audible and the tall grunt looked up then began running toward the truck. Ken threw his truck into reverse and mashed the accelerator pedal. He couldn't turn around but he could back up. With the backup beeper sound echoing off the tunnel Truck #2,013 took off with the grunt still running toward it. Fennekin got up and dash and waved the a friendly bye-bye to the grunt. Ken also gave him a wave but used noticeably less digits than his partner did. The tall grunt ran as fast as he could but tired as the truck maintained a steady momentum started to vanish around the bend. The grunt walked back toward his partner with a dejected look on his face.

"Relax, he's not going to get far," said the short grunt. "He's boxed it. They always stop."

* * *

In the truck Ken's head was scanning in all directions as he alternated between looking out the passenger side mirror, sticking his head out the driver's window to make up for that mirror getting knocked off earlier, and looking down at the truck's dashboard gauges. Trucks were designed to reverse but they weren't designed to do it for a long distance like backing out of the tunnel, especially at a notable speed like he was attempting. Fuel cell trucks, like the old diesels, needed air flow through the radiator grill at the front of the truck to keep cool and operate efficiently. Backing out like this was sending the needle measuring the truck's operating temperature skyward in a risky manner. Ken also had to be careful with the wheel since the steering was effectively flip-flopped when doing this.

"Once we're out of the tunnel I'm going turn around and we'll take the old road up through the mountains," Ken said to Fennekin. "There's a couple different routes we can use to get to Pallet from there. It's going to take a while but we'll get there and they can't possibly block all of them. If all else fails we'll just go back to Viridian and get help."

The Viridian City side of the tunnel came into view but Ken didn't start smiling as he saw the exit was blocked by a certain red convertible parked lengthwise and unoccupied across both lanes. He made the decision to go for it anyway since there was no way that car was as strong as the other two. Truck #2,013's horn sounded twice before the reversing rig slammed into the little sports car. The car's side was crushed in instantly as the truck smashed into it. Ken braked to send the crunched convertible sliding away out of the tunnel but in the process his truck locked up and slid to the side itself slightly.

Because of the slide Truck #2,013 was not fully out of the tunnel but Ken now had a clear view down the road and right before he reached down to change gears and start his turnaround he noticed some people standing in the road that he was fast becoming all too familiar with. Robert, Ellee, and Purrloin stood right in the center of the road and now it became abundantly clear that convertible road block wasn't meant to stop him but just slow him down for the real attack to begin. Dispensing with the pleasantries Robert and Ellee were now both wearing the standard black Team Rocket uniform adorned with the infamous big red "R."

"Oh great, that bikini chick and her chauffeur from the Viridian Forest are back," said Ken. "Nice to see they got some real clothes on now though."

* * *

Robert pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it into the center of the road. It clicked open with the bright white figure of the Pokémon it contained first emerging then growing to reveal a giant Onix. The monstrous Rock Snake Pokémon towered over the big rig. It roared with power. Truck #2,013 shook just from the sound.

"Play time is over," Robert said. "Prepare for trouble, for surrendering it's now time."

"Make it double," Ellee added. "This here is the end of the line."

"Purrloin!" added their purple cat before it struck a pose with claws extended.

"Drop the cases and we'll let you walk away," Robert yelled to Ken. "Otherwise I don't think you'll like what comes next."

The motto was barely audible in the cab but the mere sight of the massive Onix had Ken suddenly rethinking his escape plans. That thing was probably large enough and had the weight behind it to seriously damage or disable his truck. Still being in the tunnel gave him a little time to think. The Onix began to slither toward the truck to attack it as Ken turned to his partner.

"Can you fight that thing?" he asked.

"Kin," Fennekin responded.

The little fire type was right, with both a type and size disadvantage like this he'd stand no chance against Onix and the best they could likely hope from a battle would be to try and stall for help that was unlikely to come. Ken hit the steering wheel in frustration.

"Son of a gun," Ken said angrily. "We did all this just and all we've gotten is caught between a literal rock and a hard place. There's got to be a way out of this."

Fennekin looked out the windshield and noticed that their truck still had enough room to pull forward. He thought of a suggestion then gulped at what it would entail. He barked to get Ken's attention then when his partner looked over he made a gesture with one of his front paws implying "floor it."

"Fen kin," Fennekin said.

"Are you crazy?" Ken said. "That's a road block down there. There's no way we'd ever get through that without a serious crash."

"Fen kin," Fennekin repeated, making the same gesture.

Robert and Ellee both had a smile on their faces.

"It's all over now but the screaming," Ellee said.

"Onix, tear up that truck but watch the cab and cargo," Robert ordered to his rock type.

Onix roared in response.

Ken looked at the approaching Onix then looked down the tunnel. He then looked over to Fennekin and down at the suitcases. He thought back to Peter's words about not stopping for anything and delivering the cargo. Ken made the decision to go for it.

"You're right," Ken said. "We're are so not going down without a fight."

Outside Robert and Ellee were ready for the kill.

"Onix, tackle it," Robert said.

"There's nowhere for him to go now," Ellee said.

Onix charged in for the attack but Ken popped the clutch and mashed the accelerator straight to the floorboard. Truck #2,013 jerked forward and then took off, vanishing down the tunnel just as Onix entered it. The Rock Snake Pokémon slammed into the wall of the tunnel as the GS Transport truck sped away. It stood no chance of catching the truck now and Robert recalled it as he and Ellee walked toward the entrance.

"Or, well he could do that," Ellee.

"He's not getting through," Robert said. "He can run but he can't hide."

"You know in hindsight maybe sacrificing the car to set up that attack wasn't the best idea," Ellee noted, glancing over at their destroyed convertible.

"Eh, we're insured," Robert replied. "And he's not going much further."

* * *

Inside the cab Ken couldn't believe what he was about to do. This was going to be a deliberate crash and it certain to be a wild one. With his truck's size and intended speed he believed he should be able to punch through the two cars but when the impact came all bets were off. As a nice bonus commercial trucks like the 550 Dittocruiser also are not equipped with airbags like a car would be.

Ken reached over with one arm and grabbed the passenger's side seat belt before pulling it over to buckle Fennekin in. The Pokémon smiled at the thought. He then picked up one of the cases and handed it to his partner.

"Hold this tight," Ken said. "Right before we hit take a brace position and hold onto it the best you can. You take that one and I'll take the other one. We're in this together."

"Fen," Fennekin replied, understanding the order.

* * *

On the other end of the tunnel the two Rocket grunts heard the truck coming.

"He's coming back," said the tall grunt.

"Don't worry, they always stop," his short partner replied.

* * *

The needle on the truck's speedometer kept climbing as Ken kept his foot planted to the floor. The Celadon City driver was now zooming up through the Dittocruiser's many gears at a speed that would make a race car driver in the 24 Hours of Laverre City jealous. The truck's speed was now up to the point that the lights on the side of the tunnel were starting to blur together. With all the action earlier today Truck #2,013 was starting to run a little rough, the normally quiet rig was now letting out a roar like a diesel truck as it blitzed toward its destiny at a breakneck speed.

The truck approached the bend in the tunnel. At this point Ken knew he was now passed the point of no return. Even if he let off the accelerator and hit the brakes now Truck #2,013 was carrying far too much momentum to stop in time. This was going to be a big hit. He picked up the second case and prepared for inevitable. Fennekin had positioned his case underneath him.

"Are you ready for this," Ken said, putting out a fist in the direction of his partner.

"Fen, Fennekin kin ne" Fennekin replied, putting out a paw to bump his trainer's fist.

"Here we go," Ken said.

Ken never thought he'd be planning how to deliberately crash his truck but now the moment was here. He could choose to take either lane and smash into one of the cars on the side or go straight up the middle and ram both of them. Impacting from the side would give him just one car to hit but it would mean crashing into the passenger compartment, an area car companies usually reinforced well to protect the vehicle's passengers. He decided to go for the middle, hitting both cars head on. The front of cars was usually designed with crumple zones that were designed to give way in a wreck which Ken decided in this context might be his only potential chance at finding a weak spot. He just hoped those grunts had the good sense to move.

* * *

Truck #2,013 roared around the bend. As it did Ken flashed the headlight's high beams and jammed on the truck's horn trying to warn the Rocket grunts.

"Ah, he's still coming," said the tall grunt nervously.

"They always stop," replied the short one with confidence.

Ken again hit the horn and the flashed the lights. He lifted his foot from the gas pedal for a moment then jammed it down again specifically so that the engine made more of an acceleration noise. The megaton rig continued to charge toward the road block with enough force to rival a stampeding herd of Tauros.

"He's not stopping!" yelled the tall grunt as he turned and bolted for the end of the tunnel.

The futility of the situation at hand finally dawned on the short grunt who also made a run for it. Both split off to either side as they ran out of the tunnel to clear the road. Team Rocket members must be brave in the line of duty but getting killed foolishly wasn't a good career move for those seeking to move up in the organization.

With the grunts out of the way Truck #2,013 had now accelerated back up to full speed. As Ken and Fennekin starred at the two cars ahead Ken noticed a little beam of sunlight shining into the tunnel and through the small gap between their bumpers. There was only maybe six inches between the cars. It was a certainty the truck wouldn't fit through that gap but Ken decided that would be where he'd aim and hope for the best.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Ken yelled. "DUCK!"

Ken let go of the steering wheel and ducked into a crash position like you'd have aboard an airplane going down, holding his case tight against his chest. Fennekin huddled up tight in his chair trying to protect his case. What happened next was incredible.

* * *

KABOOM!

The speeding GS Transport truck plowed into the cars at full speed leading to a massive impact that sent broken glass and smashed metal flying. The sound of the wreck echoed through the entire tunnel. The "chrome horn" on the front of Ken's truck smashed and tore into the two cars with incredible force even if it was crushed and fell off the truck in the process. Both of the cars were smashed backward and badly crumpled in the impact like Ken thought they might. One caught against the side of the tunnel and rolled over on its roof as a result. The other twisted like a banana as the entire front end, engine included, was torn off the vehicle. The motor went sliding down the tunnel throwing off sparks as it did.

In the cab everything that wasn't bolted down was violently thrown forward as Ken and Fennekin held on for dear life. The cab jolted forward as the grill and headlights were both smashed to pieces. The steering wheel jolted violently, had Ken's hands been on it at the time he'd have been in a world of hurt. The driver's side door was torn open only to slam shut again but fail to latch, its frame having become bent so now it was just hanging open.

Truck #2,013 burst back into the sunlight outside the tunnel in a blast of smoke, debris, and noise. The grunts could only watch as a badly wounded truck kept going. Outside the tunnel were two "Road Closed" detour barricades, set up by the grunts as part of the road block to reroute any traffic that could distract from their efforts, but both were instantly smashed by the truck as continued down the road.

* * *

Ken and Fennekin popped back up as the driver hit the brakes and found they still worked. Quickly he checked the accelerator and the steering and found both still functioning, although the steering was far from perfect and acceleration was slow. That hit had seriously damaged the truck but remarkably they were through the road block and in the clear. If the truck could just hold together for a few more minutes, and that was a big if, they would make the delivery. Both cases were intact despite the hit.

"Whoa," Ken said. "You okay?"

"Fen," Fennekin replied with a smile. "Fennekin ne kin fen fen kin?"

"Ah, no," Ken replied. "I don't want to do that again."

* * *

The two grunts could only watch as the truck sped into the distance.

"So, do you think our insurance will cover this?" the tall grunt asked.

His partner could only roll his eyes at the remark.


	17. The Packages Reach Pallet Town

Ken banged the accelerator the floor and gave GS Transport Truck #2,013 another blast of speed as he and Fennekin at last started their final approach into Pallet Town. After a brutal over the road throwdown all the way from the Viridian Forest onward with Team Rocket in pursuit the pair had escaped the villains but thrashed their big rig almost beyond repair in the process. Slamming through the grunts' last road block had kept them moving but at this point the trucker and his Pokémon were starting to wonder if anything was holding Truck #2,013 together at this point other than sheer force of will.

With troubling white smoke still pouring from the truck it sped past a sign on I-Route 1 reading "Pallet Town: Next Two Exits" and another labeled "Pokémon Laboratory: Next Left." With the sun now up morning was in full bloom for the southern Kanto community as flocks of Pidgey soared over the area's emerald-hued fields and hills dotted with leafy trees. As the truck crested a hill the little community at last came into sight with their destination, Professor Samuel Oak's laboratory standing proudly atop the hill. Its windmill spun silently as its red roof and yellow paint glistened in the daylight.

The serenity outside was a spectacular contrast to the chaos inside the badly damaged cabover truck as seemingly every alarm was sounding in the cab. Buzzers rang out and messages flashed on the dash reading dire statements like "Engine Overheating" and "Warning: Low Tire Pressure." Ken reached up and flipped a switch which silenced the alarms but the reality of the situation was still that even if it was rolling now Truck #2,013 certainly wouldn't be for much longer. All Ken and Fennekin could do now was hope that incoming final breakdown waited until after their cases of Master Balls and Capture Stylers were delivered.

"Hold it together baby," Ken said to his truck. "Just give me a few more minutes. We can make it!"

* * *

Ken turned off the pavement of I-Route 1 onto the dirt road of Laboratory Drive, the last road leading to its titular landmark. A cloud of dust began following the truck as it began to traverse the gravel path. He went for another gear only to have the clutch slip. He tried again and with all his might forced the shifter into position as Fennekin watched. That hard gear change was anything but a good sign. Ken jammed it into an even higher gear and slammed the gas pedal all the way to the firewall. They needed to get there fast or they might not get there at all.

"Get ready Fennekin," Ken said. "If she drops you grab that case and I'll grab this one and we'll make a run for it. Don't stop until your at the lab for any reason. Got it?"

"Fen," Fennekin responded. "Fennekin ne kin kin kin."

Ken almost thought that last part sounded something like "you and me til the end." His little fox had really proved himself on this run. Mack was right, Pokemon were a trucker's best friend for a run like this. If he didn't have Fennekin, or the currently knocked out Spearow, he almost certainly have made it this far.

BANG!

The smile that was starting to form on Ken's face instantly vanished as the whole truck shuddered then started pulling to the right badly. Ken glanced into the truck' damaged passenger's side mirror to see big chunks of something black starting to litter the road behind them. He didn't need to be told what that was, the truck's right front tire had gone flat and was now starting to self destruct quicker than a ticked off Electrode. The sound of the ripping rubber banging against the truck's cab as the tire started to shred away only got louder with each rotation of the wheel. No driver in their right mind would keep going in a situation like this but with everything the crew aboard Truck #2,013 had just gone through Ken didn't want to pull over before the truck had finally given out. He and Fennekin were both worried about some final Team Rocket trap and the truck at least gave them some level of protection. Fennekin looked at his trainer and the worried look on his face said it all.

"That's not good," Ken said. "That's just going to keep banging around until it takes something out. And there's nothing we can do to even attempt to fix it."

Ken held the wheel tight and focused on the road ahead, trying his best to compensate for tire issue as best he could. Perhaps because it was the worst possible time to do so the Celadon City driver decided to try and lighten the mood.

"If we make it there I could really go for a good Unova-style bagel for breakfast," Ken said. "You think Oak's lab has a food court or something?"

"Kin," Fennekin replied.

"Eh, worth a shot," Ken said.

* * *

The white smoke pouring out of the engine was starting to thicken as the truck at last rounded the last bend leading up to the laboratory. Ken and Fennekin's eyes both lit up at the sight and the dawning realization that they would likely make it. The last stretch of road was sandwiched between a wooded hill on the left and a small stream with a yellow footbridge on the right. A long staircase led from a gate at the front of the property up to the lab building.

SNAP!

Just as Ken began to decelerate and brake Truck #2,013 finally broke down. The banging rubber from the flat tire took out one of the truck's tie rods and without it the wheel jerked to right and locked in place, unable to be steered any longer. Ken yanked the wheel to the left as far as it would go to keep the truck from going in the river. It worked as he applied the brakes and the truck stopped right at the gate to the lab. The truck had gotten them right where it needed to go but not an inch further. Ken let out a breath of relief.

"Fen fen!" Fennekin barked happily.

Ken reached up and pulled the handle for the truck's horn to give it two blows to hopeful signal to the laboratory's staff that they had arrived. He then grabbed his case and went to open the all but unhinged at this point driver's door only to have it completely fall off the truck when he tried the handle. As he climbed out of the truck he reached over and grabbed Spearow's Poké Ball, with how many Pokémon were kept here they must have healing equipment to help his fainted bird. Ken signaled Fennekin to follow him and the yellow fire type grabbed the case in mouth before jumping out of the truck.

Ken and Fennekin both ran up the steps toward the lab with neither wanting to let their guard down until these cases were finally in Professor Oak's hands. The sound of the horn had attracted the attention of a young man in a teal shirt, likely the professor's aid, who opened the door as the GS Transport pair ran toward it. A little blue Marrill accompanied this trainer.

"Where's Oak?" Ken yelled as he darted up to the door. "I've got his cargo!"

"He's in here," the aid replied. "I'm his assistant Tracey Sketchit. Are you Ken Worth?"

"Yes I am," Ken said. "Did Peter tell you I was coming?"

"Yes, he called us and…"

At this point Tracey noted the smoking truck sitting in front of the lab.

"What happened to your truck?" Tracey asked. "Peter said he banged up the back but nothing like that."

"Oh, well you know how it is," Ken said. "The traffic on the road through Viridian City was just killer this morning."

Ken held tight to his case and looked down at Fennekin with his case in his mouth. The little fox wagged its tail. Tracey signaled someone just out of eyesight and it became apparent just who he had when Ken walked in the door and noticed an older-looking Scyther that had been lying in wait seemingly in case something went wrong. If Peter had called them to tell them what happened he'd clearly told them to be ready for anything too.

"Where is the professor?" Ken asked. "I want to get this cargo delivered ASAP and I've got a fainted Spearow that needs some help. Do you heal Pokémon here?"

"He's in the kitchen," Tracey replied. "And we don't normally but we've got some limited facilities to help the ones that live on site."

"Can you help my Spearow?" Ken asked.

"I should be able to," Tracey replied as Ken handed him the bird's Poké Ball. "Follow me."

* * *

The tired GS pair followed Tracey into the kitchen area of the lab's living quarters. There, sitting at the table with breakfast bowl of miso soup and a side of scrambled eggs, sat Professor Oak. He was already dressed in his lab coat for the day ahead and had begun reviewing a report from another professor on the recent research regarding the interactions of Numel herds with various breeders in the Hoenn region. He glanced up with a smile as Ken walked into the room, taking note of the driver's blue-and-yellow GS uniform. Fennekin, Tracey, and Marrill were close behind.

"Professor Oak, I presume?" Ken said. "I've got two cases for you."

"Ah, you made it," Professor Oak responded. "Peter told me about that stunt you pulled on I-Route 3. You're a very brave driver. I assume that loud bang up by the tunnel a few minutes ago was you?"

"Team Rocket blocked the road but Fennekin and I rammed through it," Ken said.

"Are you alright?" Professor Oak asked.

"We'll be fine, my truck not so much but it got us here," Ken said. "Now let's get you this cargo."

Ken put his case on the table near the professor then took the second case from Fennekin and did the same. Professor Oak starred down at the Fox Pokémon with a mild surprise. Fennekins were rather rare in Kanto and he rarely got to see them although Professor Sycamore spoke highly of the species.

"Fen fen," Fennekin yipped, just as glad as his trainer to finally deliver this load.

Ken pulled out the key to the cases and unlocked them. The cases had survived the chase intact but now he had to hope their cargoes had as well. He lifted the lid on his case first, revealing all five of the bright red Capture Stylers safe and without a scratch. He breathed a slight sigh of relief but now was the big moment as he opened the second case. A purple and pink glow shined into the room as all 20 Master Balls came into view, somehow still looking fresh from the factory. The armored cases had done their job to perfection. Ken gave Fennekin a thumbs up symbol, they'd pulled it off.

"Thank you for shipping with GS," Ken said with pride. "We always try our very best and trust me when I say that this run definitely required it."

Professor Oak reached into the Master Ball case and picked one up. Even with his vast experiences with Pokémon he'd rarely had access to balls as powerful as this one. He flipped it open and looked inside revealing all of the circuitry to be intact. The balls were ready to be used.

"What a remarkable piece of equipment these are," Professor Oak said. "They are perfect for the research project we'll be conducting with them during the next few months."

"I'll contact the trainers we recruited later today," Tracey said. "We'll get the proverbial ball rolling on it."

Ken looked puzzled as he thought about just what kind of research could require special Poké Balls like this and multiple trainers. Professor Oak picked up on his curiosity.

"You're wondering why we needed all these and shipped these two high value items together aren't you?" Professor Oak asked.

"Actually I was," Ken said.

"Fen Fennekin ne fen," Fennekin barked, equally curious.

"Well, you've probably earned an explanation," Professor Oak replied. "Come down to the lab to the lab and I'll show you."

"Would it be alright if I call my dispatchers first?" Ken asked. "My radio got taken out in the chase and I need to let them know we're alright."

"Certainly," Professor Oak said.

* * *

On the outskirts of Pallet Town the aftermath of the chase was already starting to be cleaned up. Emergency services had already responded to the sound of the explosion in the tunnel from Ken's big hit. Firefighters and paramedics were looking over the site, confirming no injuries, while the police collected evidence. The three wrecked cars on either side of the Pallet Road Tunnel were already being towed away to reopen the road.

With law enforcement now swarming the site the remaining members of Team Rocket had opted to beat a tactical retreat toward a safe house in the mountains. They'd wait it out there for the attention to die down before a company car from Viridian City would come and pick them up. The Pallet side grunts had already reached the safe house while Robert, Ellee, and Purrloin slowly walked up a quiet dirt hiking trail in its direction. Under normal circumstances the hike up this trail was actually very pretty but today the stench of defeat hung low over the trio. They'd heard Ken's truck smash the road block and the other grunts had already called in to report to both them and headquarters it had reached Pallet Town and likely delivered the cargo.

Orders had come down directly from Giovanni's secretary Matori herself that Team Rocket was to hold back on any further action to get the Master Balls for now. Given how many grunts had been busted in the earlier car chase it was likely the organization was looking to cut its losses for the day.

"You know, we know where that truck went," Ellee said. "The professor is old and he's only got like one assistant that works with him. Why not bust into the lab and grab the Master Balls there?"

"Sometimes the bravest play is to know when to fold," Robert said. "Several agents have tried attacking that before and it always ends badly, he's old but he's got half the most powerful Pokémon in Kanto backing him up. Call me crazy but I don't fell like getting flung far over the horizon for no real gain. We'll walk away, reload, and come back against the next truck or the next trainer at full power."

"GS Transport won this battle but they won't win the war," Ellee replied, now with a darker smile. "Perhaps we just need to think a little bigger next time."

"Purrloin!" added their feline companion.

The trio continued their hike into the distance. Those who fight and run away often live to battle another day.

* * *

Ken stood behind Professor Oak's laboratory with Fennekin at his side as he made a phone call back to GS Transport offices in Celadon City. As the clock dinged 9 a.m. he'd officially been a Pokémon trainer now for 24 hours and they were by far the wildest 24 hours of his life. Fennekin lay down to lap up a little sunshine while Ken held his cell phone up to his ear.

"Pick up, pick up," Ken said as the phone ring.

The call connected as one of the office's secretaries picked up.

"GS Transport Celadon Dispatch, can I help you," she answered.

"Yeah, this is Ken Worth, driver for Vulpix 3. I'm sorry for the radio silence. Team Rocket attacked my truck in the Viridian Forest with that certain little egg aboard."

"Vulpix 3 I'm going to transfer you to Mack," the secretary said. "Please hold for a moment."

"10-4," Ken said, gulping at now having to face his boss. "Thank you."

The phone rang again for a moment before Mack picked up.

"Hello, Ken?" he asked. "Did you make it?"

"Yes Mack," Ken said. "I'm at Oak's lab now and the egg is fine. He's got it."

Ken heard someone yelling something like "he made it" down the hall away from the receiver with some cheering in the background.

"That's great news," Mack said. "The Viridian City Police called me and told me you were in trouble. Was it Team Rocket?"

"Yeah," Ken said. "They got Peter's truck and attacked mine."

"Did you road battle them?" Mack asked.

"I didn't have much of a choice there," Ken said. "But Fennekin and Spearow held their own."

"I told you Pokemon were great for protection," Mack said with pride. "How's the rig? Peter already posted his dash video of you and Fennekin's emergency braking stunt up there on the Pikachu Trail online as a Pokévision clip and that's blowing up. I've also got the Viridian City DPW calling us saying one of our trucks deliberately rammed some of their barrels and some reports of a big wreck in the Pallet Road Tunnel."

"Yeah, it's all true Mack," Ken said. "Truck #2,013 is all torn up. I'm going to need a rescue rig down here as soon as possible."

"I'll get the Chansey 2 wrecker rolling out of the GS West Kanto garage at Terracotta Town immediately," Mack said. "They'll be there in a couple hours. If they can't get it back on the road no one can. You stay put in Pallet for now. I was coming out there later this morning anyway."

"10-4," Ken said. "See you then."

Mack hung up and Ken gulped. He walked around the side of the lab and looked down to the road where Truck #2,013 lay wrecked. The 550 Dittocruiser had stopped smoking but the damage was still serious. He hoped it could be repaired and his first day on the job hadn't just become his last. But before he faced the music he and Fennekin were at least going to find out why they had pushed themselves as hard as they had.

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

Answering some of the comments, yeah, this flick was heavily inspired by "Smokey and the Bandit" and similar flicks but it's kind of fun to spin it because the normal tropes of those movies don't always work here. In most trucker films like "Bandit," "Convoy," or "White Line Fever" our hero is an independent driving for themselves but here Ken is specifically driving for a much larger company instead. The bad guys in trucker films are also usually cops or "the corrupt system trying to keep the working man down" but since neither would fit well with the lighthearted anime-flavored atmosphere here I specifically avoided that one in favor of some Team Rocket baddies. I do have a third Pokémon picked out for Ken but with this tale coming close to its end I don't know if it will be in this one or perhaps saved for another adventure.

I tried to make all the named original Rockets characters in this one named after famous Confederate generals from the American Civil War, following on from the historical bad guy theme they often go with. That's why we got Robert and Ellee (Robert E. Lee), Stonewall and Jackson, and George and Pickett (with "Pickett's Charge" during the chase naturally ending very badly).


	18. Shining Revelations

With his truck disabled and his boss Mack now on the way toward Pallet Town to talk to him driver Ken Worth in a position where almost all he could do now was sit and wait. In some ways it was nice to have a moment to let his guard down given he and Fennekin's wild ride this morning. With Spearow now healing up his attention turned to just why he and his team had just run through the night to deliver two cases of Capture Stylers and Master Balls to Professor Oak's laboratory. He and Fennekin reentered the building to get their answers.

The trucker and the Pokémon soon entered the laboratory where the professor and his assistant were working. Ken was taken aback by the two-story room and the giant windows that illuminated it. Equipment lined both sides of the lab with the famous pedestal in the center where half the trainers in Kanto selected their starters then set off on their journeys. The two cases were both present on a workbench and had already been unpacked of their contents. Fennekin sniffed the air, the odor pleasantly reminded him a lot of Professor Sycamore's lab back in Lumiose City. Professor Oak handed Tracy a sheet of paper.

"Bring these Poké Balls before you let the others out for the day," Professor Oak told his assistant.

Tracy nodded in agreement before going to fetch them. The professor took note of the trucker as he entered the room.

"Ah, Mr. Worth, good to see you," Professor Oak said. "You've completed a very vital service by delivering these balls to us."

"Thank you," Ken replied. "So why did you need them? And why ship them together with those Capture Stylers?"

"It was done of simple necessity and a hope we could pull it off with a hint of subterfuge," Professor Oak replied.

* * *

The professor worked over to a workbench and picked up one of the 20 Master Balls. He then walked back over to Ken as he flipped it open to show off its unique circuitry.

"Master Balls require some very rare-earth elements to produce," Professor Oak said. "It's these elements that give them their almost invincible status when it comes to capturing Pokémon but it's not without its drawbacks. The price alone to create all this is surely a factor in why they have never been mass produced or available for commercial sale. But the issue with the Master Ball is far deeper than an economic one. A normal Poké Ball can easily be electronically transferred, albeit only one at a time, almost anywhere via a PC with or without a Pokémon in it. The quirks of the wiring in the Master Ball though cause interference with that system, it can't be sent anywhere that way unless it already contains a Pokémon. The almost assured catch features can also only be used once no matter what, so it can't just be used to catch a random Pokémon to ease transport without defeating the purpose of its manufacture in the first place."

Ken and Fennekin both stared at the ball as the Professor showed off its interior.

"These balls were made at the large Poké Ball factory in Kalos because of better access there to the necessary rare earths," Professor Oak explained. "The plan was to ship them to the Laverre City airport via an armored car with a police escort then easily fly them here to Pallet Town. It looked good on paper but the transport came under attack several times from villainous organizations. They are still investigating but it appears it was likely some international members of Team Rocket or somebody who was previously part of Team Flare."

"Is that how that case ended up being shipped with GS Transport?" Ken asked.

"Indeed it is," Professor Oak replied. "The original armored transport was returned to the factory and after they told me what happened I called up my old friend Mack Marmon, your boss, to see if he could get me an alternative. He came up with a clever one. The next day the transport set off again for the airport running empty while the balls were put on a regular GS truck carrying a scheduled shipment of Great Balls that left at the same time going in a different direction. Mack then had them put on a ship at a nearby port and quietly shipped over water where almost no realistic form of attack could be launched while it was far out at sea. The armored transport did get attacked again and some effort was made to throw them off with some broken balls but I don't think it worked."

"So where do the Capture Stylers come into this?" Ken asked.

"On the boat," Professor Oak replied. "Given how powerful Capture Stylers can be, and how dangerous that can be if they aren't with a Pokémon Ranger, all shipments of them are tightly monitored with the intent of keeping them mostly secret. I had already ordered a separate shipment of them to brought here to be given to some new Rangers who are shipping out from Kanto to go work in the Orre Region and it was Mack's idea to put the Master Balls alongside them. The goal was that if someone looking to get the Master Balls got wind of the secret shipment it would be written off as the Capture Stylers and they'd keep looking for the more valuable target. I don't know how but somehow someone was still tipped off to this plan, they think it might have been a dock worker or a trucker for another company once the load reached the Vermilion City docks."

Ken raised an eyebrow at that revelation. A rival company trying to mess up a GS shipment, or worse a criminally connected one, hadn't crossed his mind as causing this.

"Peter Biltmore is a very good trainer friend of mine and he has been ever since I gave him his starting Squirtle all those years ago," Professor Oak said. "When Mack came up with the idea to secretly ship the cases on a truck that would be delivering a normal cargo to Pallet Town anyway, milk for the local cheese makers I think, I specifically requested he bring in Peter to drive it."

"And when Peter's truck got sabotaged it fell right in my lap." Ken said. "Whoa."

* * *

Ken looked toward the Capture Stylers then back at the Master Balls.

"You said these balls are for a special mission," Ken noted. "What is it? Or is that a secret?"

"No," Professor Oak replied. "I can tell you about it."

At that moment Tracy returned with the two Poké Balls that the professor had requested.

"Here you go professor," Tracy said as he placed them on center pedestal.

"Thank you, Tracy," Professor Oak replied. "Here is your answer Ken."

The professor reached picked up one of the balls and opened it. In a burst of light and sound the Pokémon it contained was released and appeared on the pedestal. As the light subsided a Noctowl revealed itself and let out a caw. Ken and Fennekin both looked closely at the bird.

"This is a regular Noctowl, a nocturnal Pokémon most commonly found in the Johto region," Professor Oak said. "Note the two-tone brown plumage as is typical of this species. Now here's a second Noctowl a local Pallet Town trainer sent me a while back."

Professor Oak opened a second Poké Ball to reveal another, smaller Noctowl. Both Ken and Fennekin were in for a shock though as when the bright white light subsided the bird was revealed to have a completely different color palette featuring brighter feathers and red wings.

"Is this a shiny Pokémon?" Ken asked. "My sister talks about things like this a lot."

"Indeed it is," Professor Oak responded. "Almost all Pokémon have a unique shiny color variation like this that only occurs in a very small percentage of their total population. No one in the area of Pokémon research has any idea what causes this issue so I've recruited 20 talented trainers to hunt out examples of these creatures for the purpose of research. Given their rarity each trainer will be given one of the Master Balls for help to capture one during their search."

"Shiny Pokémon are so rarely seen by humans in the wild that we had to get Master Balls to ensure the trainers could catch one if they find them," Tracy added. "It still won't be easy to locate them."

Ken was in awe for a moment.

"Mack said his crew could get it here," Professor Oak said. "He was right."

* * *

The mention of a trucking topic snapped Ken back into his comfort zone. He and Professor Oak started making their way toward a couch and chairs near the window to continue their conversation. Tracy left the room to check on Spearow.

"How do you know Mack?" Ken asked. "He seems a bit old to have come through here as a trainer."

"He never did," Professor Oak replied as he sat down on a chair. "Back when I was just starting out as a professor as Celadon University Mack was one of my students. He had an incredible enthusiasm for Pokémon and sought to become a professor himself but the grades just weren't there. And yet, whenever some students were setting off on a research expedition Mack was always at the top of the list of classmates they wanted involved with their mission. He had a logistical mind like few others and could fit more useful equipment for safe transport than anyone else in the school."

"A start of something great there," Ken noted.

"Indeed it was," Professor Oak replied. "Before Mack could flunk out I talked to him about that and noted maybe he should try and find a way to put his talents to a better use than failing my class. I asked him to look for a way to use his skill to benefit people and Pokémon alike. He dropped out, got a bank loan, bought a trio of old trucks, and founded GS Transport. He named the company and modeled its logo after the then-recently discovered GS Ball."

"No kidding?" Ken asked. "What made him think that a trucking company could help Pokémon?"

"I think he looked at difficulty in travel they sometimes caused and he sought to find workarounds," Professor Oak replied. "When he first started out he was scrubbing repel on his trucks before every trip and hoping for the best but later he got trucks that had it worked into the paint itself. He took trickier assignments for himself and his early drivers and used his knowledge of Pokémon to try to sneak past issues. He'd take supply runs to the Safari Zone and do his best to schedule them outside mating seasons when the Pokémon there are more docile. And yet there are somethings you can't predict since that wreck with the Rhydon that got his friend hurt."

"He told me about that when he gave me Fennekin," Ken said, glancing over to his partner. "That was the wreck that made him require drivers to carry Pokémon protection."

"He was always very serious about his business with that being one of the many things that set him apart," Professor Oak replied. "Although I think deep down, he always wanted to make all of his drivers into trainers on at least a hobby level. If you get a pro, they might go to the Pokémon League and promote the company doing so but I believe he thinks giving his drivers a partner will make them happier. He hopes those Pokémon will try to keep them out of trouble. I think he once told me he'd rather have his drivers chasing gym badges than chasing something else. I forget the terms he used but in general he was concerned about how seedy some out of the way truck stops can get at night."

Ken sort of bit his tongue at that. That was the side of the trucking business and related industries he always tried to avoid.

"That can often be the case," Ken said before quickly changing the subject. "So, how did he go from just trucking into rail and sea and all that stuff? I read GS got a big contract."

"Yeah he did," Professor Oak replied. "GS got a reputation as "the Pokémon-friendly carrier" and it helped him get a lot of business. His trucks have carried pretty much every piece of equipment in my lab here at some point. About a decade ago when Clifford Industries built Ryme City the CEO gave Mack an exclusive contract to carry virtually every load for the whole city's construction. Every brick, beam, and bag of cement got there in one of Mack's trucks and the necessities of that job allowed him to expand into ships and railroads to meet all of its demands. I'm not sure Mack liked that guy though, probably political differences or something, because he hasn't worked with him pretty much ever since. I still like working with Mack though. There's a big research-related construction project coming up in Vermilion City very soon and I suspect his company is going to be contracted for it. He's coming here to talk with me about it later today."

"He's also coming to talk with me as well," Ken said a bit more solemnly. "Given how smashed my truck is I hope it's not the last conversation I have while in his employ."

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

Now that Mack's full name has been revealed I think I can go ahead and say it's a running gag in this fic that every GS driver is named after a brand of big rig trucks. Ken Worth is named after Kenworth (at one point this fic made that more blatant and gave him "K Whopper" as a nickname just like the real brand is in CB slang but it was cut). Peter Biltmore is based off Peterbilt (thus why he gets called Peter so much and not just Pete). Mack Marmon is a twofer since Mack and Marmon are both truck brands (Marmon went out of business about 20 years ago). Mack's Pokemon that we saw was a Snubbull specifically because in real life Mack trucks are associated with bulldogs. The Eevee hood ornament on Peter's 750 Eeveeliner is also a parody of that.

I meant to add a paragraph talking about how Poké Balls can be moved via PC but it isn't practical for time, data, and energy used purposes to do that on a large scale and justify Ken hauling a load of them earlier. I figured that would have bogged down the plot a bit though.


	19. Where One Road Ends Another Begins

Pallet Town may be a small community but it is located in one of the most scenic parts of the Kanto region. Its green mountains and vibrant trees made it a beautiful place for many aspiring Pokémon trainers to start their quests to take on the world. On a hill overlooking the town is a brilliant bronze statue titled _The Journey Begins-Kanto_ is positioned to look down on the community. The glistening statue portrays larger than life versions of the region's traditional starters: Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur. Similar statues of the traditional starters of each region could be found at their usual starting points around the world.

The statue had gained a reputation as a good luck charm and it was here that many families said their goodbyes as they dropped off their young trainers so they could make the almost ceremonial walk through town to Professor Oak's lab to get their first Pokémon, often posing with the statue of the starter they intended to choose before going off. Today however the statue encouraging new journeys seemed only to mock truck driver Ken Worth as he looked at it from afar with his own journey possibly over.

Ken's GS Transport Truck #2,013 all but lay in ruins after the vicious chase and road battle earlier. He and his Pokémon Fennekin and Spearow had managed to stop Team Rocket's hijack attempt but not without serious damage. Spearow had been healed up inside the lab and had now rejoined Ken and Fennekin as the trio looked over their rig. The truck driver would be lying if he said his two partners weren't starting to grow on him by this point and he was much happier they were alright compared to the truck.

The last two hours for Ken had been hectic. He'd spent most of that time talking to the local police department about the chase, including handing over the footage from Peter's dash camera. While the camera was destroyed the footage it recorded before that showed the Rocket grunts had started the fight. Ken would likely avoid any serious legal ramifications related to the pursuit. While Fennekin got some berries to recharge at the lab Ken had also been taken to the Pallet Town Clinic for a quick look over to assure he'd escaped injury in the chase and that hard crash when he rammed the road block; thankfully he had and was already cleared to start driving again. Ken had switched into a clean uniform and now had his new belt on for the first time with his Poké Balls attached to it.

* * *

While Ken and his Pokémon were alright Truck #2,013 was still in need of serious repairs. The old 550 Dittocruiser still sat on the side of the road in front of the professor's lab but help had already arrived to get it rolling again in the form of a massive GS tow truck dubbed Chansey 2 after the handle for its drivers, a pair of mechanics from the company's Terracotta Town garage named Ulysses and Grant. The tow truck itself was a massive rig built off the chassis of a 650 Machampmover truck and, as Peter implied earlier, it was almost as big as Truck #2,013 itself. The Chansey trucks were given their fitting name because of their rescue role and GS had three of them stationed across Kanto just for its company trucks. Their paint job was similar to the blue and gold one of the regular trucks minus the addition of some extra pink stripes.

Ulysses and Grant were going over every inch of the banged-up truck to determine what would need to be done to get it running again. Ken was starting to feel hopeful they'd get his truck back on the road quickly until he heard a sentence that immediately dashed his hopes.

"Get the hook ready Grant," Ulysses said as he rolled out from under the front of the truck on a dolly. "We're going to have to tow it back to the garage to deal with all this."

Ken's smile immediately turned into a frown. Ulysses got up and walked over to him.

"You want the good news or the bad news first?" Ulysses said.

"Give me the good," Ken replied.

"Well, the rig isn't totaled out," Ulysses replied. "But it's not going to be an easy fix. The front end is smashed to bits but most of the damage is cosmetic. There's some frame damage but it's minor. The big issue is the motor is pretty much shot and the steering is all screwed up. The suspension isn't looking good either."

"How soon can you get her back on the road?" Ken asked.

"We'll likely make it a side project at the shop so I'm thinking two to six months," Ulysses said. "It's an old 550 so it's hardly a big priority now. I think we'll put a dump bed on the back and assign it to gravel hauls out of the quarries in Pewter City. I'm not sure if I want to put a truck that got banged up this bad back in regular over the road service until I know it's back up to something approximating full song."

"We got another 550 back at the shop that is totaled out that we can use for parts," Grant added. "It had an incident down at the docks where a container got dropped on it. The whole back of the cab was crushed and the frame split. That one is scrap but we can take what we need off the front of the cab and the roof to mend this one."

"Do you need me to come with you back to the garage?" Ken asked.

"Our orders were just to get the truck if needed," Grant said. "Mack said he was coming over here and he'd be talking with you once he did."

"Sorry we couldn't fix it here," Ulysses added. "Don't worry though, we'll get her back on the road in time. It's not headed for the junkyard just yet if we have anything to say about it."

The mechanics words gave Ken some minor reassurance but it was still a sad sight as they hooked up the cabover for its tow. Ken recovered his suitcase and his personal items from the cab then fought back the tears as Ulysses and Grant drove off with his truck on the hook. He could only watch as Chansey 2 towed Truck #2,013 out of sight into the Pallet Road Tunnel. Somehow Ken knew he'd likely never see it again. Fennekin and Spearow both looked toward their trainer with similarly sad faces, they could pick up on his disappointment.

"There's nothing we can do now," Ken told his partners. "Anyone up for breakfast I guess?"

The mention of food excited both of the Pokémon as the trio started walking toward town. Ken wheeled his suitcase behind him.

* * *

Downtown Pallet Town wasn't much to write home about, the community had pretty just one main street and some basic businesses. There was a First National Bank of Kanto, a hardware store, several stores selling items for new trainers setting off on their journeys, a grocery store, and a general store that oddly also served as the broadcast location for the local radio station WPOK. With the local bar, the Rambling Rattata, closed this morning Ken and his Pokémon had only one option for a bit of brunch but at least it was a well-known one.

The Pallet House was widely regarded as best restaurant in Pallet Town, if only because it was the only restaurant in Pallet Town. The eatery had picked up the nickname the "Goodbye Café," since it was often the last place families would eat together before their children set off on a Pokémon journey, but it's popularity could not be denied as people came from far and wide to sample its legendary homestyle meals made in all kinds of styles from various regions. The eatery offered both indoor and outdoor seating with Ken and Pokémon sitting down at the one of the outdoor tables.

The woman who owned the restaurant was well known among locals although she wasn't present today as she had jetted off to Alola to go see her son perform in a school play. Her son was apparently a very skilled Pokémon trainer and the interior of the restaurant was decorated with newspaper clippings showing his skill in Pokémon League competitions or other adventures that he'd been involved with. Looking at the headlines Ken wondered if some of them were exaggerations but given how crazy this world could be at times "Local Boy Teams with Lugia to Save the World" wasn't all that far-fetched an idea.

Ken sat at a table and savored his long-awaited bagel while Fennekin and Spearow each enjoyed a dish of fresh food tailored to their typings on the ground at his feet. Ken watched as another GS truck pulled up in front of the hardware store as the driver made a delivery, wondering if his time with the company may be over after his wreck. Ken paid in advance for his food, as he and partners finished he was about to leave when a small blue and gold pickup truck rounded the corner and drove up to the restaurant. It parked in front of the eatery with a familiar GS Ball logo on the side immediately showing off the identity of its owner. Out stepped a familiar gray-haired man.

"Ken, good to see you again," said Mack, walking over and taking a seat next to his driver. "Sounds like you've had quite the morning."

"Mack, thank goodness," Ken said. "The Master Balls and the stylers are safe with Oak. Is Peter okay?"

"He's fine but you can bet I've already been talking with him about being more attentive," Mack replied. "He's a great driver but if he'd have checked his brake lines this morning before setting off none of this would have happened. That was a risky stunt you pulled up there on the pass and a riskier one you took hauling that cargo but it paid off. I'm going to reward you with a nice part of the driver payment for that job."

"Thank you, sir, err, Mack," Ken replied.

"You performed very well under circumstances that I would never have let you be assigned," Mack said. "Tell me Ken, have you heard of our Ho-Oh Level Clearance?"

"I have not," Ken replied.

"Ho-Oh Level Clearance is reserved for only my most trusted drivers," Mack said. "The name has a simple meaning, they are the ones who if I asked them to move Ho-Oh I could trust them to fulfill their duties no ifs, ands, or buts. Moving Master Balls or cargos like that one require it and I would never under any circumstance, even this one, give it to a driver I didn't have running with me for at least three years. You never should have gotten that cargo but you did and I'm impressed you followed through with the delivery given how you could have tried to use that situation for your personal gain."

"Yeah, but my truck got wrecked in the process," Ken said.

"Do you know how much one Master Ball is worth Mr. Worth?" Mack said. "I could buy about half a dozen brand-new trucks with how much we got paid for this assignment. You've also done wonders for promoting this company. Peter posted the video from his dash camera of that rescue online as a Pokévision video titled "Little Fennekin Saves Big Truck." Your fox's gutsy move in the back of your pass means we're actually trending. For a guy who wasn't a trainer until yesterday I'm quite impressed you two built up enough trust to try something like that."

"Spearow helped me time that move too," Ken said. "I will admit the trainer thing is growing on me. If I didn't have them I'm pretty sure I'd never have made it to Pallet Town given how hard Team Rocket came after us during that hijack attempt. Fennekin and I have a lot to learn but we're just getting started."

"I told you the cute ones have a sway to get you out the door," Mack said. "Sometimes a starter and their first trainer don't work out but that's why I seek out surplus ones to help my drivers get going."

Ken glanced down at Fennekin. The little yellow fire type stared back with a smile. The fox was glad his mulligan with a new trainer was turning out well.

"My starter Pokémon is doing fine but my starter truck is in a bit of a mess," Ken said. "The Chansey 2 crew said Truck #2,013 is going to be out of action for months as its repaired. Do you have another 550 Dittocruiser I could drive in the meantime or take over for a new assignment."

"You think I'm going to give you another 550 after you smashed the one you had in less than a day?" Mack said. "Those rigs are headed for retirement anyway. Give it another five years and the only place you'll find one is trucking in the Nanab Berry harvest out in the boonies. No, I don't have another one for you."

All of the emotion drained out of Ken's face. Somehow he knew this might be the end of the road for him with GS. He held back a tear before he looked over at Fennekin and Spearow. Both of his Pokémon could sense his disappointment and yet looking at them put a bittersweet smile on his face. He thought about the last day and all he'd gone through since he left Celadon City. He turned back to Mack.

"If this is all I get I'm okay with that," Ken said. "All my life I dreamed of being a long-haul trucker. Most people never get to achieve their dreams but, if only for a day, I got to fulfill mine and it was the greatest experience of my life. I got my cargoes there on time, saved another trucker, and I drove the wheels off my truck to get my job done. I got a whole career's worth of action in about 24 hours and if I really think about it, it was all incredible."

Mack gave him a funny look.

"Without another 550 to drive what are you planning to do?," Mack asked.

"I don't know," Ken replied. "RatEx will surely take me back. Maybe I'll go back them and work my way back up to driving the big rigs again. They don't run to Pallet Town but if I hike back up to Pewter City I can hitch a ride back to Celadon that way; they haul office supplies to the science museum and a couple businesses there. Now that I'm a trainer maybe I can challenge the Pewter Gym while I'm there; that was where my sister got her first badge all those years ago. I did register for the Pokémon League yesterday and it would be a good way to sharpen my skills."

Mack chuckled.

"I'm not sure I'd recommend that," Mack said. "That kid Forrest is the gym leader in Pewter and while he is one of the newer ones here in Kanto he's not a pushover. That's a rock type gym and you go in there with only a fire type and a flying type you are going to get whooped."

"I guess I'll have to build up my team then," Ken said, watching the other GS delivery truck drive away. "I think I might have the time to do so."

"Before you do anything rash can I make you a counteroffer?" Mack said.

Mack reached into his pocket and produced something small. He put it on the table before pulling his hand away to reveal a key ring. The metal key had the Devon logo on it, likely a truck key, but it had two keychains attached to it. The first was just the GS Transport logo but the second got Ken excited: a cheap little plastic Eevee.

"If you want to stay it's out back," Mack said.

* * *

Ken didn't need to be told anything else as he jumped up, grabbed his suitcase, and ran out the door with Fennekin and Spearow in pursuit. Ken rounded the corner Mack had driven around his jaw dropped at the sight of a new truck. Ken walked toward the rear of the truck and immediately recognized it as a 750 Eeveeliner but as he reached the cab he realized this truck wasn't a flat-faced cabover like his former 550, instead a boxy nose housing the motors jutted out in front of the truck. The numbering on the side designated it as GS Truck #653 and the Devon branding beneath the step into the cab identified this truck as being a 750 Eeveeliner US model. Ken recognized the US branding, it stood for "Unova Special," and that explained the long nose styling that was more common for trucks in the other region.

Ken and Fennekin walked up to the front of the truck with Spearow flying behind them. The truck had a GS's latest livery featuring a blue paint job with gold stripes that started at the back of the cab and came together around the grill. The look had fast picked up a nickname as the "Quick Ball Scheme" because of its resemblance to the famously fast acting Poké Balls. The front of the truck was protected with a special extra metal bumper that covered much of the grill of the truck. Ken had seen these before, they were often fitted to trucks working in the bush or other rural areas, and he knew that with a setup like that ramming anything would be much easier if the need arose. The metal bars were designed to bang a Tauros out of the way without taking any damage, thus their catchy nickname as "bullbars." The truck was in a standard flatbed configuration, Mack likely drove the 750 to Pallet hauling his pickup before unloading it.

"This is a 750 Eeveeliner Unova Special, one of the more powerful trucks on the road today," Mack said. "Unova allows trucks to move bigger cargoes than here so they built their rigs a bit more robust there. It's got more powerful electric motors, a more bulletproof transmission to handle them, and a sturdier frame than that Dittocruiser you started with."

"How did you get a Unova Special in Kanto," Ken asked before looking toward Fennekin. "Although you do seem like the kind of guy who has some international tastes."

"I got a surplus fleet of these babies I'm dispersing throughout the globe," Mack said. "GS already has trucks, trains, and ships in every region but when that Garchomp-haired fool Grings Kodai managed to wipe out his business empire in the aftermath of his arrest in Sinnoh I bought up all his transit assets for pennies on the dollar. I mostly wanted his railroads in Unova but he also had a trucking company there to support it so I got all his rigs in the deal. Since I've already got my own Unovan trucks I'm reassigning most of his to other regions where I need them more. Truck #653 here is fresh from the paint shop with its new number and it's ready to start making money. All it needs is a driver skilled enough to handle it and I think you fit the bill."

Ken was speechless. In a single moment he'd gone from seemingly unemployed to getting a shot in a 750 Eeveeliner just as he always dreamed.

"Ken, these coming months are going to be very busy ones for GS and I need every talented driver I can get making runs," Mack said. "My trip here to Pallet Town isn't just to get you back on the road. Once I get you going again I'm headed to the lab to meet up with my friend Samuel Oak. He's is working with another professor, I'm still learning his name but it's something like Sakuragi or Cerise or something like that, on the development of a new Pokémon research lab in Vermilion City. They are going to have a high priority build on this thing and I'm going to get GS the contract to move the supplies for it. They are looking to build a whole enclosed park onto an existing structure and that means a lot of stuff is going to be moved in a very short time. You've been driving in Vermilion City for years with RatEx, you're knowledge of the area will be a good asset to me on this one. I still want you driving for GS Ken, you still have a lot to learn but I know you're up to being one of my drivers."

Ken smiled then opened the door of the Eeveeliner and climbed into the cab. Fennekin was right behind him with Spearow flying in afterward. Ken took his position in the driver's chair while Fennekin climbed up onto the passenger one as usual. Ken put the key in the ignition and turned it as a thrill ran down his spine. Truck #653 roared to life with the classic, unmistakable sound of a diesel truck that was ready to rumble. Expecting a more silent electric sound Ken turned to Mack.

"Don't worry about that, the truck is clean hydrogen powered but some cities in Unova mandate a sound emitter to avoid having big trucks coming through downtown silently for pedestrian protection reasons," Mack said. "Lots of rigs have them and Kanto's going to mandate them soon. Some of my trucks already have them. The old diesel sound is the most popular since it just says "truck" to a lot of people. The cab on this rig is insulated so you won't even hear it much."

Ken threw his suitcase in the back and looked around the cab for a moment. It looked a lot like the interior of the 550, a sleeper cab with living quarters. He liked how this truck's bigger cab meant he had a second row of seats behind the normal driver and passenger ones, likely an optional extra fitted by the prior owners. Since the 750 was an upgraded version of the 550 the controls were all but identical so Ken would be able to handle this truck well. He turned back to Mack.

"I can't wait to put this baby through its paces," Ken said.

"Fen fen Fennekin," Fennekin added, equally excited.

"Then don't wait, I've got cargoes that need to move and I don't want this truck sitting around not earning its keep," Mack said. "Specifically, I've got two loads ready to go that are just perfect for a shakedown run with this big boy. The first is a precision load, I've got a truckload of pottery fresh from the kilns in Terracotta Town that needs to get to Stone Town pronto. It's a basic haul, nothing special. Of course, if you want a little more challenge, I've got another option."

Ken, Fennekin, and Spearow's interest was piqued. They all looked at Mack.

"There's been a serious shipping mix-up and a container full of special drinks for annual Venonat Festival in Fuchsia City ended up on the wrong ship," Mack said. "Said container is now sitting on the Johto dock in Olivine City. If you can make that run all the way across Johto and get it across Kanto to deliver it on time you will be rewarded handsomely."

"That sounds like a nice fun run," Ken said. "When would it need to be there for the festival."

"The festival starts at 7 p.m. tomorrow but the load has to be there by 3 p.m. for all the necessary preparations to take place," Mack replied.

Ken thought the load sounded exciting and looked over at a clock tower. The time in Pallet Town was now 11 a.m. Suddenly the reality of the timing for that cargo donned on him.

"Whoa, 28 hours to drive from here all the way across Johto and back then all the way across Kanto?" Ken asked. "That can't be done, not in a big rig anyway. There is no way anyone would ever…"

"If you make that deadline, I will pay you five times our regular rate," Mack said with a slick smile.

"Five times the money?" Ken said in disbelief.

The trucker looked to Fennekin and Spearow. Both of them were smiling a little naughtily.

"Fen fen," Fennekin said in encouragement.

Ken turned back to Mack.

"You're on!" Ken said with a smile.

"Alright, get rolling then," Mack said. "You better punch it though, you've got a long way to go and a short time to get there."

* * *

Ken slammed the door to the truck as Mack gave him a thumbs up. He recalled Spearow into its Poké Ball and immediately turned his attention to the truck. With a quick motion he grabbed his shifter and jammed Truck #653 in gear. The big truck rolled out of Pallet Town and started heading back north up I-Route 1. Ken reached up for the radio.

"Dispatch this is Vulpix 3 and we're back on the road," Ken said. "Please update that I've switched from Truck #2,013 to Truck #653 now and let the crew at the Olivine docks know we'll be there in about nine hours. No wait, make that eight hours."

"Roger Vulpix 3," the dispatcher responded. "Welcome back, glad to see you're in it for the long haul."

"10-4 dispatch," Ken said. "I am westbound and down with all these wheels a rollin'. Over."

Ken was smiling like a kid in a candy store as Truck #653 came up to speed and roared through the Pallet Road Tunnel. The blue and gold truck sped out of the tunnel on the other side with its shiny paint serving as a nice contrast to the green scenery. Fennekin had a huge smile on his face as the truck raced toward its destination. Ken took notice as the little fox hopped up on the dash board and walked over to the cord for the truck's horn. He made a happy gesture toward it and Ken smiled in return.

"Give it a yank partner," Ken said proudly.

The little fox leaped up and used a paw to do just that, giving it two long blows. Ken chuckled as Fennekin smiled.

"After how this journey has started, I don't know what's coming next Fennekin but I do know I'm glad I've got you aboard to back me up," Ken said. "Wherever the road may go, we're going to go there together."

"Fen," Fennekin replied. "Kin ne Fennekin."

Ken reached over and gave his Pokémon partner a pet on the head. A road sign read "Exit for Johto, I-Route 22, and I-Route 27" as Ken turned off I-Route 1. Fennekin again his head out of the window with his tongue flapping in the wind as Truck #653 dashed over the hills and through the forests toward its destination. As the truck darted off into the distance Ken and Fennekin had no idea they were being watched as a familiar small pink creature floated down out of a tree with a smile. Mew stared in the direction of the truck with a smile before it too started flying off toward Johto.

* * *

And so, we've reached the end of the road for this tale. For Ken and Fennekin their first day on the job was a wild one because in the incredible world of Pokémon even an average joe or plain jane person like a truck driver may find themselves called upon to be a hero. These two I-Route runners have a long journey ahead of them and no doubt in the future they'll meet new friends, face fierce rivals, encounter many more Pokémon, and move all kinds of cargo to almost any destination you can think of. The next time your own Pokémon journey brings you into town to buy more Poké Balls or healing supplies maybe you can take a moment to think about all the Heroes of the Highway who helped bring all that gear to you. Until we meet again, keep on truckin' as the journey continues…

THE END

* * *

AUTHOR NOTES

This is the end of Ken and Fennekin's journey for now but I'm hoping I may be able to revisit them in the future. There's still another tale from the road I'd love to tell but for now maybe it's best we let these two get some work done. The "28-hour run" at the end of this fic is meant to be more of an "And the adventure continues…" ending than a sequel hook although you never know. Who knows, maybe we'll get a bonus chapter somewhere down the line too.

The twist that this episode takes place at the same time as the anime episode "Lillier and the Staff!" is meant to be a fun contrast. Ash and all his friends are having a really comedic and fun time in Alola and at the exact same time this trucker just got put through the wringer in Kanto.

The numbering of Ken's trucks isn't random. He drove #2,013 throughout most of this fic because 2013 was the year Pokémon X and Y released, marking Fennekin's debut into the franchise. He's now switched to #653 because that's Fennekin's number in the National Dex.

The "Unova Special" is actually a subtle reference to real world American trucking. The standards for trucks in the USA differ by state and in Michigan they are little looser so real truck companies do make more powerful "Michigan Special" models for that market. "Bullbars" is also an American term, those bumper guards are also called "Roo Bars" in Australia, but I thought the bull version fit easier since Tauros is the 'Wild Bull Pokémon' and we don't have a Kangaroo one.

Speaking of real world trucks that hidden secret in the cover shot I mentioned earlier is a pun. The truck behind Fennekin there is a Kenworth, the same brand Ken is named after. While that isn't supposed to be their truck it does fit the fic since this story was meant to be "Smokey and the Bandit" inspired and that real-life rig is a replica of the one from that movie.

I was tempted to make the last line in this fic "I'm 10-10 on the side" which is trucker CB radio slang for "I'm done talking but I'm still listening." It fit great knowing that context but I thought it was too obscure.


	20. BONUS: Absol-ute Trouble Ahead

I-Route 10 is one of the most popular roads among truck drivers in eastern Kanto and it's not hard to see why given its nickname as the "Gringey City Gateway." Gringey City is home to a mega-sized power plant that powers much of the region and a vast array of factories and industrial businesses including two mighty steel mills, several gas refineries, and even the firm that produces Max Repels. Truckers across several regions love any assignment they can get that brings them here since with all the supplies going in to work in these factories and the manufactured goods coming out a run here almost certainly means a nice pay day both ways.

And it's on the road out of town that we find a pair of familiar faces as GS Truck #653 sets off headed west. In the cab of Truck #653 driver Ken Worth and his partner Fennekin are in a bit of a relaxed mode this afternoon. The pair had just hauled in a pair of new ladles for use moving molten metal inside the Skarmory Steel Company mill and now they had picked up a backhaul with some fresh rolls of steel that were now bound for the Glaciate appliance factory in Pewter City that would make them into refrigerators. As the big blue 750 Eeveeliner truck crossed a bridge out of town its reflection glistened in matching waters below. Clearly Gringey City efforts to start cleaning up its environment after an infamous incident with some Grimer and Muk a while back at the power plant was starting to pay off.

Truck #653 was in a flatbed configuration today with the steel coils positioned and tied down tightly before being covered up with black tarps for their protection. Ken took no chances in securing this load, with the amount of weight out back if one of those coils came loose a lot of damage was sure to ensue. The load was a last-minute request from the refrigerator factory which needed the steel later this evening to assure it could keep its assembly line rolling at top speed. Ken and Fennekin were confident they would make it; they'd succeeded in driving all the way across Johto and back then across Kanto just two weeks ago; with a quick ride on the magnet train they made the 28-hour run with several hours to space. And compared to that first day with the Master Balls every load they'd carried since had been a proverbial piece of cake.

* * *

Fennekin sat in the passenger seat, smiling as he looked out the window over the water. Ken reached over down to sip on an energy drink with the only sound in the cab being a song playing on the truck's radio.

"On the road, far from home, you'd don't have to feel alone," sang the female vocalist. "Brave and strong, together we will be. It's our destiny! We will be heroes; we can change the world if we try! I go where you go. Forever friends, you and I! We will be heroes!"

Ken clicked off the radio.

"That Sinnoh pop kind of gets repetitive after a while, doesn't it?" Ken said.

"Fen," Fennekin replied with a happy bark.

The drive was expected to be a smooth one today with a pretty straight shot down I-Route 10 and I-Route 9 to reach Cerulean City. If Ken made good time he could probably go south there, skip driving over I-Route 3's Pikachu Trail, and still make his deadline. So far, he and Fennekin had been on time for all their deliveries and he didn't plan to start being tardy now. Conditions were supposed to get rainy later on with a thunderstorm but right now things were only partially cloudy. There was a moment of levity as Ken pulled up to a stop light at the end of the bridge.

"You've been riding shotgun with me for a while now Fennekin," Ken said. "You're always watching me like a Hawlucha when I'm driving. What do you say we play a game and you signal me on the shifts when I come up through the gears off this light."

"Fenne?" Fennekin asked.

"We'll I'll still shift on time but listen to the truck and give me a bark when you think I should shift," Ken said. "Sound like fun?"

"Fen," Fennekin replied happily.

The light turned green.

"Here we go," said Ken as he accelerated.

Fennekin listened closely to Truck #653's diesel sound as Ken started picking up speed. The little fox listened carefully a lot of the time when his trainer drove and gave his first bark as the sound of a high rev hit his ears.

"Fenne!" Fennekin barked right as Ken shifted gears.

"Good call there," Ken said.

The truck continued to pick up speed. Fennekin listened closely but his bark came just after Ken's next shift.

"Little late on that one bud," Ken said. "Try again."

Fennekin listened close as Ken continued accelerating. He waited for the right moment as the sound of the engine continued revving up.

"Fenne!" he barked, this time right on target.

"Not bad," Ken said.

Fennekin smiled with a small bit of pride.

"If you ever evolve up to being a Delphox maybe we'll have to have you take a commercial driver's test one you can reach the pedals," Ken quipped. "We'd make more money if you could drive the rig during my down time."

Fennekin rolled his eyes, knowing Ken was joking about that one. Suddenly Ken's CB radio cackled to life.

"Breaker, breaker this is Nidorino 1, calling out to all rigs on I-Route 10," came another GS Transport driver's voice. "We've got a real crack'em up with an overturned NQA rig at marker 12 in the westbound lanes. The driver looks okay but the cargo is spilled all over the highway and he was hauling a load of cough syrup so it is a sticky mess out there. Traffic is backing up and that's going to be a long cleanup."

Ken reached up and grabbed his microphone.

"This is Vulpix 3, I hear ya," Ken said. "I'm headed west now at marker 5. You think I should take an alternate route?"

"I would," Nidorino 1 responded. "That's going to be long cleanup especially once that thunderstorm moves in this evening."

"Roger, Nidorino 1, I will do so," Ken replied. "Safe travels and thanks for the heads up."

Ken rehung his microphone.

"I'm beginning to think old "No Questions Asked" nickname refers to how NQA Trucking does its hiring," Ken said, recounting how that company seemed well funded but its rigs had a bad habit of getting in trouble.

"Fen," Fennekin replied in agreement.

"There's a truck stop near here if we go back," Ken said. "We can stop there and grab a quick dinner. If we go south, we can go through Lavender Town and slice through Saffron and Celadon at night once traffic is light. We'll lose a few hours but it'll work."

Ken flipped on his blinker and pulled off at the next exit, the sight of taillights from the traffic backup ahead already being visible in the distance. As he pulled off the highway Ken made the turn to get back on going in the other direction. It wasn't long until he came upon the large Furfrou truck stop favored by many Gringey City-bound drivers and pulled off the road.

* * *

Ken parked Truck #653 before he and Fennekin headed inside to take a meal break and plan a new route. The parking lot of trucks was a colorful affair with rigs present from several different companies. In addition to some other light blue and gold GS Transport trucks there were also some two-tone brown ones from their friendly rival Tauros Trucking, the Saffron City company painted its trucks to resemble its titular Pokémon and even equipped the front with a set of replica bull horns as a stylistic touch. Some of the most eye-catching trucks were the teal refrigerated rigs that hauled items for the Glaceon Independent Grocers chain of stores. Pretty much every little town that wasn't big enough for a Thrifty Megamart had a GIG store and its trucks all featured graphics with the pair of happy Glaceons, one normal and the other shiny colored, that were used in most of the brand's marketing.

One of the more unique trucks was a signature "Diamond White" colored big rig from the Sinnoh-based Pearl Shipping, its trucks being a rare sight in Kanto. The company infamously once ended up in a major trademark fight over the word "Shipping" that involved many companies across every region. The feuds had been serious business in their day but thankfully the "Shipping Wars" had faded in intensity and the number of companies across the Pokémon world with "Shipping" in their name again seemed too high to count. Ken was all too glad he missed that fight.

As Ken and Fennekin walked up to the truck stop they took note of an older truck pulling in, a diesel-powered 350 Golempuller cabover operating for Pidgeot Transport. The Cerulean City company's livery wasn't all that dissimilar to GS's look as its trucks had a light blue cab with a white, blue, and gold cargo area featuring a stylized blue Pidgeot flying past the company's name. Diesel trucks still had their place on road alongside the newer hydrogen-powered models but most still in use were newer models like the 450 Rapidashrunner. This truck was clearly showing its age with a smokey, oily appearance. It parked closer to the building with the driver, a burly man in red flannel, climbing out as Ken approached. The younger Ken in his blue uniform contrasted with the certainly more experienced driver. The driver glanced down at Fennekin and then toward Ken.

"That's an interesting rig you've got there," Ken said. "I didn't know Pidgeot still used 350s."

"Yeah," the driver replied. "We got a couple of them left. Try running anything older than this though you have revive the parts to keep them running from a fossil."

"What are you hauling with it?" Ken asked.

"I've been doing loads of dynamite for the Pewter quarries but tonight I'm westbound with a more innocent load," the driver said. "I'm still going to Pewter but I've a got a bunch of batteries for a cell phone manufacturer."

"I'm also going to Pewter with a load of steel," Ken replied. "You hear about the wreck on I-Route 10?"

"It's all over the CB," the driver replied. "I'm making a quick stop and then I'm going to roll out anyway. I got another way to Cerulean and it'll shave an hour off if I do it right."

"You're kidding," Ken said.

"Nope," the driver said. "If you follow me tonight and you won't lose any time at all. I'm just going to hit the dirt on the regular Route 10, with that storm tonight it'll be free of trainers so we'll be in the clear. The name's Ross Keller and you might know me by my handle as the Rubber Psyduck. Nothing stands in my way when I'm on the road."

"I'm Ken Worth and my handle is Vulpix 3," Ken replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You might know my partner Fennekin and I from a rather wild run on the Pikachu Trail about two weeks ago that the Internet had a field day with."

"I thought that yellow fox looked familiar," Ross said. "If you are as bold as that move was I think you'll do well on Route 10 tonight. There's nothing like a good charge through a storm to keep you hustling down the road."

* * *

The two truckers turned to enter the truck stop when the arrival of another two GS trucks caught their attention. The first was GS's big 650 tow truck Chansey 3 and it was towing in a damaged 750 Eeveeliner not unlike Ken's own truck. Ken's jaw was down.

"I'll catch up with you inside Ross," Ken said. "I want to make sure these guys are okay."

"10-4," Ross said.

Ken and Fennekin dashed over to the tow truck as it parked. Ken looked up at the Eeveeliner and took note that it was Truck #51. That truck belonged to Eugenie Euclid, GS's Bulbasaur 5 driver who drove out of Saffron City. He'd met her at the Celadon garage last week between loads. Ken breathed a side of relief as he saw Eugenie and the mechanics climbing out of the truck. She didn't look injured. Eugenie noticed Ken and gave him a wave.

"Are you alright?" Ken asked.

"I'm fine," Eugenie said. "I was making a supply run to the Pokémon Center out on Route 10 and got attacked by a rogue Pokémon. The truck is fixable, no worries."

Ken and Fennekin both looked up at Truck #51. The Eeveeliner's left front tire was shredded.

"A Pokémon did that?" Ken asked.

"Yeah," Eugenie replied. "Some crazed Absol darted out of the bushes in front of me. I hit the brakes and when I did it bit into the tire to pop it then shredded it. You have to watch it with Absols. They cause disasters wherever they go, I mean just look at that mess. It ran off before I could even deploy Venusaur or Butterfree to defend it."

"I'm running Route 10 tonight, crud," Ken said.

"Eh, you'll be fine," Eugenie said. "Absols rarely go after people and it won't be out in the storm."

"I thought Absols were a Hoenn region species?" Ken noted.

"They were first discovered in Hoenn but their range is further than that," Eugenie replied. "There's some living up in the rock tunnel near here that the trainers use. Sometimes they come down a bit but its rare to see them causing trouble on Route 10. Probably just a rogue. I wouldn't worry about it. Once these guys get a fresh tire over here from the Saffron garage I'll be back on the road."

Ken and Fennekin both gulped. They were both starting to think that tonight might be another rough one on the road.

* * *

Out on Route 10 the weather was starting to get much cloudier. The darkening skies had scarred off some Pokémon to seek shelter from the coming thunderstorm but a lone, young Absol remained. It was now surveying the center of the road and it didn't like what it saw as a small fissure ran across the full width of the road.

Route 10 was a dirt one and most areas were lined with grass but in this location the road wound up into some hills along a cliff side. Absols have a natural ability to sense pending disaster and this one was drawn to this section of the road. It had first seen the fissure three days ago and it was starting to widen thanks to the recent rainstorms the area had seen. The sight of a second smaller fissure only 50 feet to the west of the first had the Disaster Pokémon even more worried that it wouldn't hold through the storm tonight. The Absol had already stopped one truck from reaching the damaged section of road and it hoped it would wouldn't have to face any more vehicles before road gave way. Unfortunately fate had other ideas for that hypothesis.

* * *

I told you we might see some bonus chapters. Ken and Fennekin are back for another adventure.

Pidgeot Transport actually is canon in the anime. In the "Princess vs. Princess" episode during the first season Misty won a set of Pokémon dolls and shipped them home to Cerulean City in a Pidgeot Transport truck. If I'd have known that when I started writing this fic I might have made them Ken's employer but instead we'll use them here.

The Pearl Shipping truck and stuff is meant as a joke. I couldn't resist the humor and I don't take sides in the character shipping debates. Ship whoever you like...unless your talking about shipping packages in which case ship with GS Transport.

I like getting to use the scene with the other trucking companies. That was planned for the main fic but got bounced to this part.


	21. BONUS: Slip Landsliding Away

With a new route in mind, and the risk of a rogue Pokémon in front of him, truck driver Ken Worth decided against a big dinner at the Furfrou truck stop near Gringey City. Instead he and Fennekin found themselves in its convenience store grabbing a few items for the road. Ken would feed his Pokémon quickly, grab a bite for himself in the cab of his big rig, and then team up with veteran trucker Ross Keller to run over Route 10 to Cerulean City while the traffic on I-Route 10 was backed up.

Furfrou truck stops were themed after their titular Kalosian canine. The store used them as mascots and the aisles featured small signs with Furfrous of various trims marking sales. One read "Doug Dandy's Dog-gone Good Deal: Any Size Soft Drink or Coffee for the price of a Small" while another was "Heather Heart's Wholesome Bargain: Organic Bananas by the Bunch." Ken was mainly just looking to buy a couple energy drinks and one Poké Puff each for Fennekin and Spearow.

"You like the ones with Tamato Berry right?" Ken asked his fox as he reached into a pastry case.

"Fen," Fennekin happily barked.

Ken got his goods and walking up to check out when another sign caught his attention. It read "Sally Star's Superstar Sale: Buy 3, Get 2 Free on Castelia Carl's Bagel Chips." Ken licked his lips. He had a fondness for bagels because of their portability, which meant he could eat one while driving with minimal distraction. Castelia Carl's chips weren't the easiest thing to get in Kanto, as the name implied it was a Unova brand, so Ken grabbed five bags of the chips to stock up while he had the chance. He had no idea how fortunate this decision would soon prove.

Ken walked up to the checkout counter and placed the five bags of bagel chips, three energy drinks, and two Poké Puffs on the counter. The clerk looked down at items, reached under the counter and pulled out a pink and white Heal Ball and put it next to his goods.

"What's that?" Ken said.

"It's a Heal Ball, duh," replied the clerk.

"I know that," Ken replied. "Why'd you pull it out? My Fennekin has a Poké Ball already."

"That's the promotion we are running," the clerk replied, pointing up to a sign above his counter with another sale reading "Molly Matron says show them you care: Free Heal Ball with purchase of 10 items or more."

"Oh, well then thank you," Ken said, handing the clerk a credit card to pay for his purchases.

* * *

With his items bagged up Ken and Fennekin walked back to Truck #653 where they got in the cab as a light drizzle began to fall. He'd shrunk the Heal Ball and put on his belt with his other standard Poké Balls. Clearly that storm was moving in just as predicted. Ken poured two bowls of Pokémon food for his partners, released Spearow from its ball, and then placed a Poké Puff atop each one. Fennekin got one with a Tamato Berry frosting while Spearow's puff had a Wacan Berry one. As his Pokémon dug in Ken stepped back in the cab to his refrigerator.

Ken's 750 Eeveeliner was equipped with a sleeper cab designed for long hauls. Essentially the truck was a home away from home on wheels. Behind the front seat was a living area with two bunks, a television, a refrigerator, a microwave, a few cabinets, and some additional storage areas. The shelf above the fridge pulled out to make a de facto desk when turning around the passenger's side seat at the front. Tonight, it would be Ken's dinner table as he pulled a cold slice of leftover pizza from the refrigerator. Looking out the window Ken saw the rain now starting to belt down harder on the hood of his rig. With the weather tonight he wondered if perhaps he should get out the extra chains to reinforce his load of steel coils but decided against it. With everyone now fed and happy Ken turned the passenger chair back around, surrendered it to Fennekin, and recalled Spearow back into its ball. He was glad the bird got a nice flight in earlier while waiting for their load in Gringey City, with this weather it likely wouldn't get to fly much tonight.

* * *

Ken looked out the window to see Ross walking back out of the truck stop restaurant to his truck while the GS Transport crew was finishing up work on his co-worker Eugenie Euclid's rig. Ken had half hoped her truck might be repaired in time for all three of them to run Route 10 together tonight but it looked like she would be coming later behind them. No sooner was he buckled in and had his engine restarted did his CB radio buzz to life.

"Radio check, Rubber Psyduck to Vulpix 3, you ready to go?" Ross said on the radio.

Ken reached up for his microphone.

"This is Vulpix 3," Ken said. "I hear you clear on this channel. Let's boogie."

"What happened to that other Eeveeliner there?" Ross asked.

"Eugenie was running Route 10 and got attacked by an Absol," Ken said. "She thinks the storm might drive it off though by the time we get there."

"If not I'll deal with it," Ross said. "I don't keep Pokémon aboard but I know the proper way to deal with them. Stick with me kid, I'll show you the ropes on the road. Absols ain't anything but trouble but they aren't so tough they can't be dealt with."

Ken rolled his eyes. Both drivers put their trucks in gear and slowly departed the truck stop headed for Route 10 as the rain started to come down heavier. Ken pulled into the lead position of this two-truck convoy. Suddenly the darkening skies were brightened temporarily as a bolt of lightning shot across them. The truckers continued their conversation via radio as Ken's 750 and Ross' 350 picked up speed.

"Looks like the run tonight includes a free truck wash," Ross said over the radio. "Normally you have to buy at least a tank of fuel before they throw one of those in."

"Your rig looks like it needs it," Ken joked, referencing the dirty appearance of Ross' old Golempuller truck. "Now, did you remember to fill up before we left?"

"Topped the tank in Lavender Town after I left the battery plant," Ross said. "This load of lithium ion power is good to go. And you?"

"Same, filled it up in Gringey City before I left," Ken said. "I've got plenty of go-go juice to keep on trucking."

Another bolt of lightning flashed in the sky.

"I'm going to go 10-10 on the side but can you do me a favor before I do?" Ross asked.

"What do you need Rubber Psyduck?" Ken responded.

"Let me know how my taillights are working," Ross joked.

Ross' dirty Pidgeot Transport truck pulled out as he mashed the accelerator. With a diesel roar the old rig blasted past Ken's Eeveeliner to take the lead in their convoy. Ken chuckled, Ross' lights were working fine and he was clearly messing around with him.

"Your brakes are working fine Ross," Ken said.

"10-4 good buddy," Ross said. "You stick with me and once we get to Pewter tonight I know a couple of ladies who can really show us a good time."

"I hope they aren't your sisters if you are talking about them like that," Ken said.

"Oh, they ain't," Ross said. "Trust me. For a good time, we can call them."

Fennekin chuckled as the look on Ken's face clearly mouthed an "ew," complete with sticking his tongue out for a second. Ken wasn't into that kind of fun and tried to steer clear of truckers who were. He'd deal with that once they made it to Pewter City. Thankfully his radio buzzed to life again.

"Bulbasaur 5 to Vulpix 3," came Eugenie's voice. "I'm back on the road and coming up about 15 markers behind you. Can you make sure the road is all clear and open for me once we reach Route 10?"

The question was clearly a joke. Ken chuckled and played along.

"10-4, Bulbasaur 5," Ken said. "I'll make sure they put out the good red carpet for you."

Ken rehung his radio. As the rain got heavier, he flipped his windshield wipers up to full speed. The heavy stuff wasn't supposed to last but it was going to make things interesting for a bit. Ken knew some truckers who actually liked driving through storms, it broke up the monotony of some of their various runs. Fennekin looked up at the rain, all too glad he was riding in the truck's climate-controlled cab with Ken. He didn't like the rain as expected of a fire type. His ability was Blaze after all, not Swift Swim.

Despite what Ross said Ken was still wondering about that potential Absol issue. Ken's new Eeveeliner was a much more high-tech model than his old Dittocruiser. The truck had several modern features and one was wireless phone call capability. For Pokémon questions the one he trusted most to answer them was his twin sister Sandra. Ken flipped a switch and the wireless system activated.

"Voice calling active," came an automated message.

"Call Sandy," Ken said.

* * *

Far to the north in Sinnoh's Oreburgh City Sandra Worth was relaxing in her room at a local motel. The weather was nice and she was planning to take a walk later. Her preparations for the Sinnoh League were going well but for now she had been called to the Oreburgh Mine as one of several professional trainers assisting with the process of training some Excadrills to work with the miners after their arrival from Unova. Her cell phone's "BREAKER 1, BREAKER 1" ring tone suddenly sounded meaning her brother was calling. She picked up.

"Well, well," Sandra said. "How are things on the road Kenny? Fennekin and Spearow treating you well?"

"It's a bit wet tonight but they are doing fine," Ken said.

"Fennekin," Fennekin barked.

"I tell you, you'd love it here in Oreburgh Kenny," Sandra said. "They've got some big rigs moving the coal down in the mine that just dwarf the road trucks you drive."

"I've seen those rights on TV, they are monsters," Ken said. "I've got a Pokémon question for you tonight just like you like."

"Oh?" Sandra said. "What do you need to know."

"You've had a few hundred Pokémon through the years," Ken said. "What can you tell me about Absols? I hear there might be one in the road ahead tonight."

"Well, they are rare," Sandra said. "I've never owned one myself but I know they are deeply misunderstood."

"Do they cause disasters?" Ken asked. "One went after a GS truck today."

"No, that's a misconception," Sandra said. "Absols have dark typing and a scary look but they are protectors not harbingers of doom."

"Seriously?" Ken asked.

"Yeah," Sandra replied. "They can sense when natural disasters are imminent and they get aggressive at that time trying to keep people away from them. They can be real heroes if people let them be."

Ken thought for a moment, was it possible the Absol that attacked Eugenie was trying to do that? Or was it indeed just a crazy rogue?

"Thanks for the help Sandra," Ken said. "I'm going to have to remember that if do see one tonight. I hope you have a good one."

"Thank you, good luck tonight," Sandra said. "Hey Ken, before you go, I should tell you something. Next time we meet up I've got someone I want you to meet, specifically someone with a type advantage on Fennekin I think can help your team if you'll take him. You'll like him, he'll weasel your way into your heart if you let him."

"I'll keep that in mind sis," Ken said, he knew Sandra had wanted to catch a Pokémon to give him years and perhaps now that he was a trainer she had finally done it. "Stay gold."

"10-4 Ken," Sandra said. "Goodnight."

* * *

The Worth twins hung up as Ross and Ken made the turn off the highway onto the muddy road of Route 10. Ross was still ahead and slightly pulling away from Ken. Ken was running just over the speed limit but Ross was still going a bit faster. Keller had been driving big rigs for a couple decades and while he'd lost some face at Pidgeot Transport in recent years he knew he had the guts to build his reputation back up behind the wheel.

The rain was now starting to let up but further up the road the downpour had already done its damage. The young Absol stood in the road watching as rainwater flowed down the nearby mountains, forming two miniature rivers that gushed right into the fissures in its surface that it was worried about earlier. Nothing could stop what happened next.

Strange cracking sounds started coming up from the road as the Absol backed away from the fissures. The ground began to visibly sag for a few seconds before suddenly it gave away entirely. A small landslide cut loose taking out the section of the road between the two fissures as its surface, the ground beneath it, and even some trees below the road all slid down into the abyss. The Absol started to walk eastbound down the road, glad no one else had been around to see this or be endangered by it; the nature of the storm meant no humans or other Pokémon had been jeopardized by it. For a moment a little smile crossed its face until it saw something bright moving in the distance.

This section of the road wound alongside the cliff and doubled back in spots and there, visible coming down the road, came a set of headlights. Someone was headed right for the gap. The Absol gulped then ran down the road straight toward the headlights. It had stopped one truck earlier so maybe it could stop that vehicle too. It had to try anyway. The white and blue quadruped dashed down the road in desperation to stop a potentially serious accident. It didn't even notice the second set of headlights that came around the same corner as Ken's truck followed Ross' rig.

* * *

Both trucks were now starting to show a little mud from driving down the dirt road in the rain but so far Ross' theory was proving sound. They were making good time despite the conditions and the road was completely free of trainers and Pokémon due to the storm. Ross had opened up a bit of a gap on Ken as he blitzed through the night. As his 350 rounded a corner the sight of an Absol running straight at his truck caught him by surprise but only for a moment.

"Well, hello there buddy," Ross sarcastically said to himself.

"Absol!," the Absol yelled toward the truck, likely unaware Ross couldn't hear him over the sound of the engine. "Absol! Absol!"

In his cab Ross simply keep driving. If that Pokémon knew what was good for it then it would get out of his way. Absol stopped running and stood in the middle of the road. Ross however just kept coming straight at it. Absol had to do something, the truck earlier had stopped and it took out a tire when it did but this one wasn't giving up. In desperation Absol launched a quick attack right at the truck trying to disable it before it was too late. Ross shrugged this off.

"Nope, not today," Ross said, hitting the gas in his truck.

It was a straight up game of Combusken now. Neither the Absol or Ross would surrender and that meant there was only one possible outcome. BAM! The two hit head on and the Absol stood no chance of winning that battle. It was sent flying off to the side, landing on the muddy surface of the road and sliding out of the way as Ross drove onward unaware of what was ahead of him. He accelerated around a bend and grabbed the radio.

"Rubber Psyduck to Vulpix 3," Ross said. "I just found the Absol you were worried about dealt with it. Hasta lasagna, try not to get much on ya when you drive past it."

In his cab Ken reached for his radio.

"Huh?" Ken asked. "What happened? Scare it off."

"It tried to charge my truck but lost that fight," Ross said. "When you come up on it be careful, it's out of action but in the road. You should get by but if not I think I finished it off so don't worry too much. It was just its time to go meet Yveltal."

"What did you do?" Ken asked.

He didn't need to wait for an answer as Truck #653 rounded the corner to reveal the Absol laying in the road badly injured. Both Ken and Fennekin had a look of horror on their faces.

"Oh my gosh," Ken said, making sure not to trigger the mic. "He rammed it."

Sandra's knowledge about Absols preventing disasters came to mind. If this one had attacked Ross and Eugenie's trucks why was it going after them so hard. Was there something wrong with this Pokémon…or maybe the road? Ken slowed his truck as he approached the Absol when something the creature did caught his attention. As his headlights shined through the rain straight at it the Absol faintly lifted its head with something of a distraught look on its face before it fell back into the mud, unable to do anything to stop his truck. It was still alive, if perhaps only just. Ken's truck jostled as it ran over a pothole and he looked down just briefly at his belt when he did, spotting the Heal Ball standing out against his normal ones. Suddenly the words of Poké Mart clerk he made a delivery to on his first day with GS Transport popped back into his head.

" _That's the Heal Ball…They fully heal a Pokémon once you catch it…fully heal…fully heal…"_

Fennekin looked out the windshield nervously at the Absol as the truck's windshield wipers did their duty. The little fox was caught off guard though as Ken put the brakes on and stopped their truck alongside it. He shifted into park.

"I'm probably going to regret this," Ken said, fast aware his evening was not going to be as smooth as he hoped it would be.

Ken opened the door of his driver's door of his truck with the Absol trying to look up only for Ken to grab the Heal Ball, activate it to full size with one hand, and toss it out the door at the Pokémon. Absol didn't move as it bounced off its back, clicked open, and pulled it in with a pink flash. The ball landed in the mud and jostled only once before it dinged with stars emerging to indict a capture. He was still holding his CB microphone with the other hand and activated it.

"Ross, back it down, something might be wrong with the road ahead," Ken said on the microphone. "Absols don't cause disasters. They try to prevent them. That's why it went after your rig."

The microphone cackled to life.

"Yes, says the people who breed them to hold Kalosian stones and pick fights with Espeons," Ross said. "That's just a rogue. Don't lose sleep over it."

"Watch the road," Ken reiterated. "I think something is up here."

"Relax rookie," Ross said. "I've run Route 10 plenty of times and OH S…"

Ken heard a crashing sound in the distance. Did the road give away? If it did was Ross okay? He listened for a response but the radio remained silent.

"Vulpix 3 to Rubber Psyduck, you alright?" Ken said. "This isn't the time for jokes."

There was no response. Ken rehung his radio mic and turned to Fennekin.

"This really isn't going to be our night," Ken said.

"Kin, Fennekin kin," Fennekin barked in response.

Ken unbuckled his seat belt, climbed out of his truck, and picked up Absol's Heal Ball. He climbed back in the truck and aimed the ball away from him toward the back of the sleeper cab as he called out Absol. The creature seemed to be in disbelief its injuries were gone. Ken buckled up and shifted back into gear. His truck slowly began driving forward.

"Welcome aboard," Ken said to Absol. "Can you tell me what happened to the road ahead? I think we've got a wreck ahead with a trucker in trouble."

"Absol!" the dark type responded positively, seemingly gesturing with one paw straight ahead.

Truck #653 continued down Route 10 with its expanding crew now all to aware the worst may have already occurred.


End file.
